
Class _^V. ^ 50/ 
Book. *-£4££5l 



GopightK" 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



SIDE WINDOWS; 



OR, 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 



BY/ 

MATTE M. BOTELER, 

Author of **The Conversion of Brian O'DiUon" and **Shut In/» 



Anno Domini 








MDCCCCI. 



^^^^-^:t:^ 



CINCINNATI, O. 

THE STANDARD PUBLISHING CO. 

Publishers <A Christian Literature. 






THE LiBPARY OF 

CONGRESS. 
Two Ccp-Es Rece've:: 

MAY 31 1901 

CO*»YJt*G«T ENTRr 

LASS C^XXc N«. 
COPY 3. : 






Copyright, 1901, br 
Th£ Sta>'dard Publishi>'g Comp^xt. 



With ivhom I hive had th^ rare privilege of 
being associated in Christian service^ 

^his ^aak h ^ordinlh inscribed. 



TOPICAL INDEX. 



Amusements: 62, 105, 108, 119, 138, 139, 161, 205. 

Bible: 20, 80, 86, .115, 140, 159, 192, 217. 

Carh for Others: 25, 27, 34, 37, 49, 53, 67, 7G, 102, 104, 109 

112, 119, 121, 132, 153, 158, 186, 211. 
Christ: 17, 19, 21, 28, 29, 30, 44, 47, 1G9, 189, 212. 
Church: 42, 149, 156, 164, 194. 
Example: 90, 96, 111, 119, 124, 163, 214. 
Faith: 32, 91, 112, 140, 142, 144, 148. 
Faultfinding: 84, 99, 113, 173, 194. 
Fear of Evil: 60, 61, 65, 8^, 108, 177. 
Following Christ: 21, 87, 95, 102, 161. 
Future Life: 45, 50, 142, 150. 
Giving: 49, 97, 145, 202. 
Home: 90, 121, 154. 
Hypocrites: 90, 119, 126, 206. 
JoYFULNESs: 60, 71, 112, 135, 192, 212. 
Liberty: 73, 119, 139. 
Little Things: 58, 65, 77, 110, 154. 

Love of God: 17, 19, 39, 41, 117, 169, 176, 177, 180, 181, 189, 218, 
Missions: 71, 97, 104, 122, 127, 158, 196, 200, 204. 
Obedience: 32, 34, 40, 70, 131, 154, 159, 176, 194. 
Opportunity: 24, 31, 107, 134, 144, 208. 
Prayer: 26, 46, 57, 92, 97. 

Promises: 46, 60, 68, 83, 109, 1J2, 131, 135, 140, 218. 
Punishment: 35, 43. 



8 Topical Index, 

Purpose: 85, 95, 103, 106, 116, 147, 152, 160, 172, 208. 

Reformation: 46, 86, 94, 125. 

Rejecting Christ: 41, 74, 106, 191. 

Responsibility: 53, 64, 70, 72, 82, 89, 96, 115, 119, 128, 133, 134, 

149, 151, 171, 185, 201, 203, 210. 
Revivals: 25, 55, 76, 77, 162, 164. 
Rewards: 48, 58, 13S, 168, 179. 

Riches: 24, 31, 33, 50, 74, 83, 93, 150, 164, 197, 213, 215. 
Self-denial: 22, 39, 61, 81, 114, 133, 181, 188, 215. 
Service: 62, 66, 80, 85, 98, 114, 116, 119, 132, 141, 152, 158, 160, 

168, 185. 
Sin: 22, 31, 36, 58, 85, 131, 199. 
Sinners: 41, 54, 134, 153, 160, 162, 198. 
Spirit (The): 44, 68, 87, 223. 
Sympathy: 77, 88, 108, 117, 137, 157, 187. 
Temperance: 75, 130, 184. 
Trial: 60, 68, 69, 122, 148, 181. 
WoRLDLiNESs: 72, 143, 156, 188. 
Young People: 72, 119, 163, 174, 193. 



CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Abundant Life 181 

According to Our Own Doing 35 

Afterward 58 

Already Unlocked 131 

As for Yourself 64 

Babylon and Jerusalem 163 

Be Definite 147 

Be Frank 103 

Believe in Them 117 

"Belonging to the Chureh" 149 

Be Sincere 126 

Best Evidence (The) 209 

Best Preaching (The) 124 

Better Answer (A) 26 

Bright Side (The) 157 

Business Christian (A) 152 

By His Authority 46 

Calling the Righteous or Sinners 134 

Can You Take It with You? 50 

Childish Things 194 

Church in Business (The) 42 

Cold Comfort 90 

Comforter (The) 68 

Contentious Peacemakers 66 

Contradictory Testimony 221 

Converts Expected 153 

Copying Christ 28 

Cost of a Good Reputation (The) Ill 

Costliness of Sympathy (The) 188 

Costly Mistake (A) 115 

Cost of It (The) 62 

Cost of Neglect (The) 193 

Cowardly Courtesy 184 

Danger of Revival Meetings (The) 76 

Dangers Unseen 6S 

Dealing Justly with God 210 

Diamonds and Corn » . , 215 

9 



10 Contents*^ 

Page. 

Dactors and Revivals 162 

Double Reward (A) 186 

Drifting into It. 83 

Easy Yoke (An) 114 

End of the Journey (The) 43 

Evading Taxation 89 

Exact Obedience 32 

^^Except Ye Turn" , 222 

Faith and Obedience 193 

Fearless or Foolhardy? 60 

Fellowship with Christ 44 

First Person — Plural 137 

Garment of Service (The) 221 

Getting Advice and Taking It 106 

Getting Unyoked 161 

Give Him the Best 119 

Go Look in the Glass 94 

Go or Send 57 

Great Question (The) 160 

Grieving the Spirit 87 

Have a Purpose 172 

He Commended His Love 19 

Help OtheTPS — and Yourself 146 

He Needs You 169 

Herein Is He Glorified 52 

He Shall Have Them in Derision 174 

He's Waiting for You 41 

He Understands 212 

Home Evangelism 121 

How Christ Drawls 29 

How God Allows Us to Sin 85 

How Satan Gets Possession 58 

How the Saloon Bothered Him — 130 

How They Brought a Revival 164 

How They Find Fault 84 

How to Tell the Difference 98 

How We Get Lost 54 

"If I Were a Christian" 173 

If Thou Hadst Known 24 

If Thy Hand Offend Thee 22 

If We Confess Our Sins 36 

If You Hadn't Tried 138 

Impertinent Question (An) 67 

"In the Beginning God", .,,.,,,,,,.,,, ,. ,,,,,..,. , 176 



Contents. 1 1 

Page. 

Into All the World 122 

Inviting Temptation 199 

Irreproachable Idols 143 

It Requireth Haste 37 

It Will Hold You Fast 188 

Jacob 91 

"Jest Dangerous" 69 

Keeping Up the Lights 151 

Keep the Way Open 92 

Knowing His Voice 189 

Lamps or Lights?. 223 

Life's Little Pieces 110 

Little Dangers 65 

Living Gratitude 224 

Looking for Trouble 187 

Lord's Day or Ours (The) 183 

Lot Went with Him 96 

Love's Offering 202 

Machines or Men? 131 

Make Them Hungry 112 

Master Has Said It (The) - 140 

Memory that Saved (A) 90 

Methods and Men 80 

Missionary Submission 200 

Misunderstanding God 177 

Modern Prodigal (The) 175 

Moth Can Not Corrupt 150 

Move Something 85 

Narrow Way ( The ) 39 

Necessary Choice (A) 190 

Neglected Duty (A) 180 

Neglected Opportunity (A) 128 

Neither Saved nor Lost 41 

"No Interruption to Business" 95 

Not Fastened in the Right Place 170 

One Kind of Questioner 99 

Only a Block 100 

Our Advocate ^ 200 

Palaces or Pig-pens? 171 

Parable of the Oil^mill (The) 185 

Parade ot Service 218 

Paying Too Much for Some Good Things , 78 

Peril of Souls (The) 204 



12 Contents. 

Page. 

Power of the Individual (The) 77 

Prejudiced Criticism 80 

Preserving the Landmarks 217 

Prevention and Cure 174 

Price of Prayer (The) 51 

Price of Success (The) 164 

Pulpit on Fire (A) 156 

Putting Them to Silence 214 

Question of Investment (A) 93 

Question of Ownership (A) 213 

Realizing on the Promises 83 

Real Surrender (The) 61 

Refusing the Prize 74 

Rejecting Deliverance 101 

Rejoice in the Lord 135 

Repeating the Promises 109 

Rescue on the Brain 55 

Responsibility and Opportunity 82 

Responsibility for the Lost 53 

Sacrificed for Us. 220 

Safety of Pear (The) 88 

Saved to Serve 116 

Saving or Showing Off 132 

Saving the Good Ones 27 

Secret of Contentment (The) 212 

Seeing Stars 60 

Seek First! 63 

Serious Result (A) 119 

Some Other Way 159 

So Shall Thy Strength Be 148 

Speaking for Christ 30 

Spiritual Vagrancy 204 

Stepping Over Things 154 

Still Waters (The) 192 

Such as You Have 49 

Tarnished Name (A) 102 

Terms of Admission (The ) 40 

That Ye May Obtain 48 

There's a Man in There! 104 

They Know Not What They Do. 107 

They Shall See God 144 

They that Are Sick 198 

Thirsting for the World ; 47 

Thy Will, Not Mine 81 



Contents. 13 

Page. 

Time Is Short (The) 144 

To Let 177 

Triflers 191 

Trust and Obedience 127 

Turning It into Money 197 

Twin Frauds 141 

Two Ways of Looking at It 72 

Uncertain Riches : 33 

Uncle Sam as a Priest 75 

Unfailing Test (An) 105 

Ungracious Thanksgiving 136 

Unimportant Commands 34 

Unprofitable Servants 160 

Unspotted from the World 205 

Unwarranted Faith 112 

Useless Knowledge 86 

Using Your Liberty 73 

Voice (The) 79 

Wages of Sin (The) 31 

Walking with Christ ; 21 

Walk with Me 102 

Wasting and Spending 133 

Wear Your Colors 134 

Weighted Prayers 97 

We Then that Are Strong 139 

What Does Your Face Say? 71 

What Heaven Will Be 142 

What Is Your Business? 106 

What Shall This Man Do? 70 

What the Temple Is for QQ 

What They Really Want 219 

What We Deserve 168 

What Your Idleness Will Cost 158 

When an Excuse Does Not Excuse 178 

When He Comes 45 

When the Bible Is Unreasonable 20 

When They Enlisted 87 

Where the Hypocrite Belongs 206 

Who Is Hurt? 138 

Wholesale Reformation 56 

Whom Riches Make Happy 145 

Whose Fault Is It? 25 

Why He Felt Secure 218 

Why He Isn't Hurt 108 



14 Contents. 

Why the Christian Is Not Afraid 207 

Why You Are Yourself 208 

Will God Rob Man? 201 

Wisdom of God (The) 216 

With Common Sense 125 

Without Pain 108 

Word Made Flesh (The) 17 

Work of His Hands (The) 211 

Work We Leave Behind (The) 182 

W^orthy of the Cost 196 

Your Anchor 122 

Your Best Friend 127 

Your Name 72 

Yourself and Others 113 

Your Supreme Opportunity 208 



PREFACE. 



In so far as one may lay claim to originality for any 
product of the mind, the author does so for the appended 
illustrations. Many of them have appeared in her work 
on the Lookout and Christian Standard. Others were 
born of the needs of the hour on the platform and in the 
Bible-class room. They are sent out with the hope that 
they may help Christian workers, in many fields, to make 
more luminous the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. 

M. M. B. 



I 



SIDE WINDOWS; 

OR, 

LIGHTS ON SCRIPTURE TRUTHS. 



THE WORD MADE ELESH. 

t — 

(JoHis- X. 14.) 

Early in the seventies, a wealthy Eastern capitalist 
invested a large sum of money in the mining districts 
of Sontli America. 

While the mines were known to be rich and pro- 
ductive, they had thus far brought little profit to their 
owner. Many of the men employed in the mines wq^vo 
fugitives from the law and were from e^^ory nation 
under the sun. As a class they were treacherous and 
bloodthirsty, and riots and mutinies were frequenti. 
One manager after another had attempted to superin- 
tend the work, but with the same dire results. 

Mr. Barrows, the new owner of the mines, believed 
that there was a cause for all this, and straightway 
set about trying to find out what it was. He enquired 
into the conditions under which the men lived, and 
was appalled at the result. The work, which kept the 
^len under the ground the greater part of the time, 
was, at best, wearing, and w^as attended with great 



18 Side Wiiidoius; or, 

danger. In orde-r to keep tliem at it, the oveTseers 
had resorted to the most severe means. They were 
driven in gangs like so many animals, and no 
attention was paid to their comfort. If one lagged 
behind, the lash was applied; if he grew stubborn, 
there was the pit and twenty-four hours' starvation 
to bring him to his senses. Here, it seemed to Mr. 
Barrows, was the root of the whole trouble. 

^^Men are not apt to behave like brutes unless they 
are treated like brutes,'' he said. He gave orders for 
a new system of dealing with the men. Instead of 
punishments for slackness, there were to be rewards 
for faithfulness. The new overseer, who went out, 
carried with him a message from the o^vuer, e^j)^^^^' 
ing his friendly interest in them, and the promise that 
just as rapidly as possible he would improve their 
condition. 

Do you imagine that all this worked an imme- 
diate change? Well, it did not. The new agent was 
looked upon with suspicion, and the message he brought 
as a decoy, by which they were to be led into a still 
i more bitter slavery. A worse riot than any that had 

preceded it broke out, and the agent wired the owner 
that he had started back and that there was not money 
enough in the United States to induce him to stay. 
By this time Mr. Barrows was more interested in the 
men than he was in the mines* He said^ "I will go 



Liglits on Scripture Truths. 19 

myself." So for three long years he went in and out 
with thean, while he planned for their betterment- 
He slept where therj^ slept, he ate what they ate. Tie 
encouraged them, and they saw what was in his heart. 
They no longer needed a word to tell them of his love 
and intere^. He had spoken to them by his life. 
Love had been translated into a living man. The word 
had been made flesh, and had dwelt among them. 



HE COMME^^DED HIS LOVE. 

In a Sonthern city a poor colored man went into 
one of the worst districts and tried to preach to his 
people. Men wondered at his temerity in venturing 
into a quarter where even the officers of the law had 
been roughly handled. The people hooted at the old 
man and threatened to kill him. Thev cursed at his 
professions of love, and decared that he had come in 
the hope that he might get money out of them. 

^^Xo, brothers," he protested sadly, ^^the good Lord 
knows I has n't come here for monev. I 's come here 
because I loves you and wants to save your perishin' 
souls." 

A terrible plagTie swept over the city. In almost 
every house in the colored, quarter at least one poor 
body lay burning with fever. Those who were able 
to do so fled, leaving the dead and the dying together. 



2f0 Side Windoivs; or. 

In and out of the plague-stricken hovels the old 
preacher went, ministering to the needs of the sufferers. 
When the pestilence had about spent itself the old man 
fell a victim to its withering touch. As his people 
gathered around him and looked into his still, lifeless 
face, they needed no voice to commend his love to 
them. He himself had done this in that while they 
3^et hated him he had died for them. 



WHEN THE BIBLE IS Uis'EEASOIs^ABLE. 

My friend was sorely distressed about something 
he had found in the Bible. "Ah ! no one can live up 
to that/' he said, pointing to the disturbing verse. 

"Have you looked up the connections ?" I ques- 
tioned, for I strongly suspected my friend of having 
scant acquaintance with his Bible. 

"ISTo," was the cold reply; "if the Bible is reliable, 
it ought to mean just what it says here. If there is 
something somewhere else that contradicts it, so much 
the worse.'^ 

Suppose Ave should carry this ideia into all the 
affairs of life? We would run against more than one 
stubborn impossibility. Truth needs always the light 
of truth. Let me give you an illustration: Shortly 
after I came to Cincinnati to work for the Standard 
Publishing Company, I saw on the wall of one of the 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 21 

tooms this notice: ^^Employes of the Company Must 
Wash Inkstands on the First Floor." Wow, I was an 
employe of the company, but if I obeyed this order 
how was I to perform the editorial work I had come 
here to do? Do you suppose a difficulty of this kind 
suggested itself to me? I^ot for a moment, nor would 
it have suggested one to any sane person. While T 
certainly believed that the order meant what it said, 
I read it in the light of common sense, and in the 
light of information I had previously received. Those 
who find unreasonable things in the Bible are usually 
those that read it without applying the rules that would 
govern reason and judgin^nt everywhere else. 



WALKING WITH CHEIST. 

While men have doubtless been saved when they 
■\wre very near the end of the journey of life, what can 
compensate for the loss of years that might have been 
spent here in the companionship and service of Christ ? 
Several years ago two young men spent their vacation 
at a little resort far up in the mountains. There was 
stopping at tlie hotel a quiet old man Avho several times 
asked the young men to accompany him in his walks. 
Finally one of them, George Bennet, consented to go.. 
The other declared that he had come to the mountains 
to. have a good time and not to wander about with 



C -'> 



Side Windoivs; or. 



an old sobersides. George came back entbusiastic over 
the trip he had taken. Even this did not influence 
his friendj so George went again and again without 
him. The day before their departure, however, he 
accepted the old man's invitation. They had gone but 
a short distance AVhen he discovered that the plain- 
looking man was none other than a celebrated naturalist 
whom he had long desired to meet. That day he saw 
the world with a new vision. As the walk came to 
an end, the look of enjoyment faded out of the young 
man's face. "Oh! to think what I have missed/' he 
exclaimed. "I shall never cease to regret that I walked 
all these days by myself, when I might have been 
walking with you." 

My brother, that is one argument in favor of your 
immediate acceptance of Jesus Christ. Many a man 
who has put off coming till the best of life has been 
spent, is saying with deep regret, "To think that I 
might have been walking with Him all these years !" 



IF THY HA^D OFFEND THEE. 

(Matt. v. 30.) 

^^I see you have had the misfortune to lose one 
of your hands," some one said to a fine-looking man 
the other day. The gentleman smiled, and hesitated 
a moment before he answered : 



LigJits on Scripture Truths. 23 

'"'Yes, or the good fortune. While a man can't 
exactly rejoice that he must go through life with only 
one hand, he must acknowledge that it is better than 
not going through life at all. The loss of that hand 
saved my life. It was this way/' he went on. ^^Some 
years ago I bought a large manufacturing plant, and 
while I knew notJiing about machinery, it had a great 
fascination for me. In spite of the warnings of the 
men, I was always poking about into places that I 
had been told were dangerous. One day (I never 
knew just ho^v it happened) my hand was caught in 
the machinery, and in an instant I felt myself dra^\Ti 
into the very jaws of the machine that would have 
crushed my body into pulp. The foreman saw my 
danger. He knew that by the time the machinery 
could be stopped it would be too late. Without the 
least hesitation he seized a great cleaver and, with 
an unerring blow, severed my hand from my arm. 
It was heroic treatment, and for awhile it looked as 
though I should die from the eflfects of it. You see 
that I did not." 

Could there be found a better illustration of the 
meaning of the words of Christ, when he said: "If 
thy hand offend thee, cut it off and cast It from thea 
It is better to enter into life halt or maimed rather 
than having two hands to be cast into everlasting fire" ? 
In spite of Qvery warning, men are continually being 



24: Side Windows; or, 

caught in the whirl of sin and folly, to find at last 
that their only hope lies in cutting off that which is 
a very part of them. Many such go limping through 
the world, thankful for their deliverance and yet a 
sorrowful reminder of the awful cost of sin. 



IF THOU HADST KNOWK 
(John IV. 10.) 

In his intercourse witli men, Jesus more than 
once virtually said that if they had really known who 
he was their course of action would have been widely 
different. 

It was so of the whole Jewish nation. They had 
long waited and sighed for the coming of their Prince, 
but Avhen he came they knew^ him not. A young man 
w^as taken prisoner and Avas to be shot at sunrise. As 
he lay upon the ground that night between his sleep- 
ing guards, his heart was full of bitter thoughts. Oh, 
for a single sight of the dear ones at home ! What 
would he not give to be free once more ? Suddenly 
he saw a solitary figure steal out from behind a clump 
of bushes. The man saw that he was awake and began 
to make signs as though trying to communicate with 
him. He crept nearer and nearer. The soldier thought 
he could see a grin of derision on the man's face. 
J]vidently one of his enemies had heard of his plight 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 25 

and had come here to taunt him. He wa.s mad with 
rage. It was enough to have to die like a dog, but 
this cruel mocking was more than he could endure. 
With a shriek of anger he sprang up. In a moment 
his guards had awakened and the entire camp was in 
an uproar. In the midst of the excitement the stranger 
had fled, and the condemned man never knew that 
the one he repulsed was a friend who had come to 
deliver him fro^m the hands of his enemies.. 

There are manv men who will find out when it 
is too late that they allowed themselves to be blinded 
to their day of opportunity. If they had known that 
the trial they rebelled at was but a message of mercy ! 
If they had known that the invitation they treated 
lightly was the last chance for escape ! ^^If thou 
knewest who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to 
drink; thou Avouldst have asked of him, and he would 
have given thee living water." 



WHOSE FAULT IS IT? 

Xow and then some one complains because Bro. 
^Terventzeal's converts" do n't hold out. Well, that 
is a bad thing — for the converts at least. But are we 
certain that we have put the blame in the right place? 
One day a young wife complained to her husband that 
his tailor did poor work. When she was asked for 



26 Side Windows; or, 

an explanatio'ii she said: ^^Why, there is that coat 
he made for yoii. I have sewed that one button on 
five times, and now it is off again/^ The button was 
like the evangelist's ^^converts/' After months of 
indifferent attention, o-r perhaps of no attentiion at 
all, they are off again. And we are ready to declare 
that our brother is a very poor workman. 



A BETTER ANSWER. 



A young man went away from home to embark in 
a modest enterprise. His capital was small, but it 
represented the earnings of many years. He had won 
the esteem of his employer, and, as he was about to 
leave, the merchant said to him, "Don, if you ever 
get into a tight place, let me know of it. I will be 
glad to help you.'' Fo^r awhile the young man pros- 
pered; then came a misfortune. This was followed 
by others in such rapid succession that he began to 
see before him bankruptcy and ruin. He thought of 
his old employer, and at last resolved to write to him 
and ask for help. He had not the courage to sue for 
the whole amount, but hoped the small sum he asked for 
would enable^ him to somehow retrieve his fortunes. 
He waited eagerly for an answer, but no answer came. 
He knew that the merchant was at home, and that he 
was not a man who ever procrastinated about what he 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 27 

intended to do. Don's heart greAV sick. To-morrow 
his creditors would seize upon his goods. There seemed 
to be no way of escape. As he sat wrapped in h>3 
gloomy tJioughtSj the door opened and his old employer 
stood before him. 

^^My boy,'' he said, ^^I i^eoeived your letter, and 
while you said you wanted money, I made up my 
mind that you needed me. I have been to see your 
creditors, and they understand that my entire fortune 
is back of you." 

His friend had kept his promise, but he had an- 
swered in a way that the petitioner had not dared to 
hope. Brother, if your Lord has given you exceeding 
great and precious promises, do not allow yourself to 
fear that he will not fulfill them. God does n't always 
give his loved ones what they ask, but he never fails 
to supply their needs. 



SAVING THE GOOD ONES. 

A boy asked his father if he might go to the cellar 

and get some apples to eat. ^^Yes," replied tie parent, 

^^but be sure you take the bad ones.'' 

^^But, suppose there ain't any bad ones?" 

"Well, then, wait till there are. I can't afford to 

have you eating sound apples when they are worth a 

dollar a bushel." 



28 Side Windows; or. 

The old man's idea of economy was, after all, not 
an uncommon one^ We have a notion that we must 
let a good many things spoil before we begin to try 
to save them. It costs too much to hold meetings ot 
open reading-rooms to hold the young people of the 
church, who were never bad anyway. We must wait 
until some of them are specked and scarred with sin. 
Nothing less than saving reprobates will satisfy us. 



COPYING CHKIST. 



At work one day in the studio, trying to copy the 
face of a child, I became sadly perplexed. Instead 
of growing in beauty, the picture seemed only to be- 
come less and less like what I had hoped to make it% 
By and by I became conscious that the teacher was 
standing by my chair. Turning about, I said to him, 
"Is this right V^ inclining my head toward the picture. 
I shall never forget the sternness of his look as he 
answered : 

"Why do vou ask me ? Where is your studv ?" 
AlaSi! I had long ago forgotten the picture I 
wanted to reproduce. It was at that moment lying 
face downward upon the floor. Even then I could not 
help making a spiritual application. How many of 
us who profess to be trying to copy the Christ grow 
perplexed and troubled over what we have wrought, 



Lights on Scripture Trutlis. 29 

while the real model has been lost sight of. The Word 
which would reveal him to us is neglected, while we 
appeal to those who can never direct us otherwise than, 
imperfectly. 



HOW CHEIST DRAWS. 

(JoHx XII. 32.) 

A gentleman who was being urged to accept Christ, 
said to the preacher, ^^ There are some things in the 
Bible that seem to me to be highly contradictory. 
Christ must have overestimated himself. Once he 
declared that he would draw all men unto him, and yet 
he has n't done it. I know you will remind me that 
he has n't yet been lifted up before all men, but even 
that docs not alter the case. ^len go to church and 
listen to you; they even read the Bible, and then go 
awav and live worldlv lives. Thev devote themselves 
to money-making and sensuality, and are not drawn 
to vour Christ — at least, not more than one of them 
in a hundred is." 

^^Do you believe that there is such a thing as gravi- 
tation?" the preacher asked. 

^^Certainly I do." 

^Well, what is it ?" 

^^I believe philosophers define it as being an in- 
visible force by which all matter is dra^vn to the center 
of the earth." 



30 Side Windotus; or. 

The preacher stopped to the window. ^^Come 
here/' he said. ^^Do you see tliose gilt balls f point- 
ing to the pawnbroker's sign across the street. 
- ^^Yes.." 

^^How about the power of gravitation now ? You 
say that it draws all matter to the center of the earth, 
and yet those balls have been hanging there for three 
years." 

^^Oh, well !" said the young man^ his face flushing, 
^^they are fastened to that iron rod." 

^^Yes/' replied the preacher, ^^and it is so with the 
men of whom you speak. One is bound fast by the 
lusts of the flesh ; another is anchored by his ambitions, 
and still another finds his business an iron rod that 
holds him fast." 

Christ draws men wherever he is lifted up to their 
view, but they can resist him if they will. 



SPEAKING FOR CHEIST. 

^^No, I nevei' have anything to say on religious 
subjects, and do n't feel called upon to speak in prayer- 
meeting," said a young girl. ^^I believe in testifying 
by your life instead of your lips." 

A little while after^vard a friend of the young 
woman was arrested upon the charge of theft. The 
evidence was circumstantial, and a good deal turned 



Lights on Scripture Truflis. 31 

upon the success of the accused in establishing a good 
reputation. Among those who were called to testify 
as to his integrity was the young woman in question. 
She might have said that she preferred to testify for 
him by her life, but she did nothing of the kind. She 
went courageously upon the witness-stand and spoke 
in his favor. She was glad of the opportunity to help 
set her friend right in the eyes of the others. 

Valuable as is the service of hands and feet, there 
are times wheal lip seirvice is not to be despised. 



THE WAGES OF SIX, 



In one of our large factory towns a plant was 
erected for the manufacture of artificial flowers. The 
w^ork was pleasant, and the wages paid to the girls 
were far better than thev had been able to earn else- 
where. The establishment was looked upon as a god- 
send, and the proprietor as a benefactor to the neigh- 
borhood. 

Very soon, however, the health of one of the 
brightest and most capable girls began to fail. She 
went listless and Aveary to her work, and when it was 
done was barely able to drag herself home. One day 
she was not able to leave her bed, and a week later 
the undertaker's wagon stood at the door. She had 
been the support of a feeble mother and several small 



32 Side Windoivs; 01% 

children, Anotlier and anotheir one of the girls went 
home from the factory white and fainting, to go to 
work no more. Finally an investigation was made, 
and it was foiund that the girls had been all the while 
inhaling the most deadly poisons, which were used in 
the coloring of the flowers. While they had been 
liberally paid in money, a part of the real wag^es was 
• — death. Does this not make plain the words of Paul, 
^^The wages of sin is death'' ? Sin may pay you lib- 
erally in mirth or money, but that isn't all. There 
is a part of the pay that can be deferred for a time, 
but it is sure to come. ^^The soul that sinneth, it 
shall die!" 



EXACT OBEDIE^^CE. 



A gentleman once discharged a capable servant 
because, as he said, the man obeyed and more too. 

"He was continually doing things he had not been 
told to do," he complained. A friend who heard of 
the matter went immediately and engaged the dis- 
charged man, remarking that it would be refreshing 
to have an employe who would go beyond his orders. 
All went well for a time, when one day the man was 
ordered to take some boxes from one side of the ware- 
room and put them in the furnace-room under the 
factory. The man carried out the order, and, seeing 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 33 

that tJiere were bo'xes on the other side of the room, 
he removed them also-. Some of tlie latter contained 
explosives, and as a. result the factory was wrecked. 
If we own tiiat God knows more about us than we do 
ourselves, we must be content to let him set the limits. 
Mem who have attempted to improve upon tiie com- 
mandments of God have invariably found that the 
sequel was disaster. 



UNCERTAIN EICHES. 



Don't spend the day of life accumulating that 

« 

which you can not take with you across the dark river 
that divides time from eternity. Three travelers who 
had journeyed far in search of gold and precious stones 
heard of a cave whose floor was strewn with sands of 
pure gold, and whose w^alls were studded with gems. 
When they had almost reached the place, they found 
that between them and the place of treasure there rolled 
a black and turbulent stream. They resolved to brave 
even this, though the only boat they could procure was 
frail. They found the cave all that they had dreamed 
it could be. Two of the men busied themselves in 
picking up the smallest and rarest jewels, for these 
alone, they said, could they carry back with them. 
The third began to break off great pieces from the 
sides of the cave and was soon staggering under the 



34 Side Windows; or, 

weight df his load. The others reononstrated with 
him, but in vain. By and by they prepared to return. 
The man with the hoavy load tried in vain to get into 
the bo'at^ It became plain at last that if he would 
save himself, he must cast overboard all of his 
treasures. 

Beware of spending your day of opportunity 
gather'ing that which you can not take beyond the 
river of death. 



TJNrMPOETA:?TT COMMAITDS. 

When we talk of commands that are not important 
we virtually speak of the unwisdom of those who sent 
them forth. The importance of any edict or message 
lies not so much, in what it contains as in who sent 
it. A messenger boy brings you an envelope; you 
open it and find written upon a scrap of paper an 
order to go to a certain place at a certain time. The 
importance of that message to you will depend upon 
the name attached to it. If the signature is that of 
an irresponsible or an unimportant person, you will 
toss the paper into the waste-basket. If, on the other 
hand, the name is that of your employer, or it is signed 
by some other person w^ho has the right to give you 
orders, the aspect of the case is changed. So in your 
religion, if there are unimportant things, be sure they 



Lights 01% Scripture Trutlis, 35 

are not those of divine oTdering. You may not see 
how obedience to this or that command can have to 
do with your salvation, but that is not the important 
point. Who gave the command ? The signature will 
test its importance-. 



ACCOEDIXG TO OUR OWJnT DOING. 

^^I do n't believe that God would create a soul and 
bring it down to everlasting hell in the end/' some 
one volimteers. ISo^ my friend, he never did. Look 
at that man who has just died from dissipation or 
exposure. Does it seem strange to you that God would 
create a physical body and then wreck it like that? 
^^But God did n't do it/' you say. ^The man defied 
the laws by which he might have preserved his life.'^ 
So it is with the man w-ho chooseB the destiny of the 
wicked. 

Last night a man leaped from the great bridge that 
spans the Ohio River, and Avas drowned. One of his 
friends heard of his purpose and plead with him to 
stay at home; another caught him and tried to hold 
him as he mounted the pier. A policeman even, 
plunged into the water and gave his life trying to keep 
the man from drowning. The man's will baffled all 
of them. Let me tell you that the sinner who goes 
down to everlasting death d(X^s so in spite of all that 



36 Side Windoios; or, 

God and man could do to keep him from it. He has 
rejected the pleadings and warnings of his friends, and 
even pushed aside the outstretched hand of the Christ 
who died to save him. ^^He that pursueth evil, pur- 
sueth it to his own death/' 



IF WE CONFESS QUE SINS. 
(I. John i. 9.) 

Jesus plainly stated that he came to save sinners. 
The man who refuses to be called a sinner puts himself 
beyond the possibility of salvation. 

A wealthy gentleman was traveling In California 
in search of health; while spending a few days in 
an inland town, he learned that in this village there 
resided a man who owed him a lar2:e sum of money. 
The young man had come here after an unsuccessful 
career in the East, and was beginning to prosper in 
a small way. 

^'The young man seems to have been trying to help 
himself," said the rich man, "and I am going to destroy 
the note I hold against him.'' The note, however, was 
miles away among his papers, and he realized that he 
might not live to return. Not knowing the exact 
amount of the note, he sent his private secretary to the 
young man, to make enquiry concerning it, and to offer 
to give the debtor a receipt against it; thus protecting 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 37 

him from proceedings that might in future be entered 
against him, should the capitalist die before he reached 
home. To the surprise of the secretary, the young 
business man put on an indignant manner and denied 
the debt. 

^^When I owe your master it will be time enough 
for you to be talking to me about forgiveness/' he 
said. 

The debt remained unforgiveu and the heirs of the 
rich man insisted upon the collection of the note. This 
was done, to the ruin of the man who remained unfor- 
given because he was no^t willing to own that there was 
anything to forgive. 



IT EEQUIEETH HASTE. 

A new family had moved into the neighborhood. 
They were people of some means and had been accuS'- 
tomed to a society where great stress was laid upon 
good form. The mother, Mrs. Lands, took great in- 
texest in the people about her, since they expected to 
make the neighborhood their home. Through a mutual 
friend, she knew something of the family who occupied 
the imposing house next to theirs, and was S0'mef^vhat 
disappointed that the lady of the house had not called 
upon her. One day she noticed that the doctor's buggy 
stood before her neighbor's door. She noticed the 



38 Side Windows; or, 

same thing tli6 next day and the next. By and by he 
began to coiaie tAvice a day, and up stairs and down 
the lights were kept burning all night. 

^^They are in trouble, and I am going over to see 
if I can be of anv service," she said. 

^^But, mamma," objected her daughter, ^^Mrs. Gage 
has never called or even sent a card. I am sure I 
should like to have you do soimething for them, but I 
think you had better wait till you get at least a recog- 
nition from them." 

^^It is the King's business, and it requireth haste," 
the mother answered, as she prepared to go out. At 
the door of her neighbor's house she w^as met by Mrs, 
Gage herself. 

^^An angel must have sent you," she said, grasping 
the lady's hand. ^^My husband is at death's door, and 
w^hile we are doing all that w^e can for him, he is in 
great distress of mind. He used to be a Christian, but 
for a long while he has been so taken up with business, 
and I with society, that we have forgotten God. He 
wants some one to p^ay with him, but I did not know 
who to send for." 

Mrs. Lands went at once to the bedside of the 
sick man, and for an hour sought, with prayerful ear- 
nestness, to turn his eyes to the Christ he had so long 
neglected. When at last he passed into the beyond, 
it was with a prayer of penitence on his lips. 



Ligliis on Scripiure Trutlis. 39 

^^I think I know what Jesus meant when he told 
his messens^ers to salute no one by the wav," she said 
afterward. ^^It was not that he despised even their 
elaborate salutations, but that there was just then no 
time for them. He would say the same thing of what 
we call good form, when we allow it to keep us from 
carrying out his work." 



THE :n^aeeow way. 

(Matt. vii. 14.) 

A party of tourists wore scaling a lofty peak. The 
path along which the guide led them was very narrow, 
and in some places a wall had been builded to keep 
the travelers from stepping aside. A young woman of 
the party complained loudly of the narrowness and 
inconvenience of the way. ^'Let us take the path over 
yonder/' she said, pointing to a winding road a little 
distance away. ^^It is broader than this one; then, it 
is shady and I can see such beautiful flowers on either 
side." The guide only shook his head, but when they 
had reached the summit he called the young woman 
to him and bade her look back over the way they had 
come. Both roads were plainly visible. She saw that 
the one she had longed to take lay along a dangerous 
precipice, where a misstep would have meant death. 
The verv flowers she had admired covered treacherous 



40 Side Windows; or, 

places. Witli tears in her eyes, she turned and thanked 
the guide for having kept her in the narrow path. So 
I believe it will be with you, if you let the All-wiso 
Guide mark out your path for you. There may be 
times when the broad road seems inviting, but eternity 
will reveal the fact that the narrow way was just nar- 
row enough to keep you from the things that would have 

been your ruin. 

We'H look along the path we came 
And sing Hosanna to His name, 
Who led us in safety home. 



THE TERMS OF ADMISSION 

^^I really can't see why I need to be baptized/^ 
said a young man who had been for a long time hesi- 
tating over the question of confessing Christ. 

^^He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved/^ 
quoted the preacher. 

•^^Yes., I know/' returned the objector, triumphantly, 
^^but it does n't say that you can 't be saved without it." 

^^I think you. said you were not going to the s.ym- 
phony concert to-night," said the preacher, irrelevantly 
picking up a hand-bill that lay on the table. ^^May I 
ask why you are not going? You are certainly fond 
of music." 

"I can't afford to go," returned the young man, 
wonderingly. ^'The admission is two dollars." 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 41 

^^Oh, yes, I kna^v it says, ^Admission two dollars/ 
on the bills. But I notice one thing, it does n't say 
you can't get in without the two dollars/' was the 
significant reply. 



HE 'S WAITIXG FOE YOU. 

A little girl had been away all day with the family 
of a neighbor; they were belated in their return, and, 
instead of reaching home before dark, as they expected, 
it was almost midnight when they arrived at the house. 

^^I will get out first and rouse your father/' one 
of the gentlemen said to the little girl. 

^^Eouse him!" said the child; ^^mv father won't 
have to be roused. He 's waiting for me." 

Men out of Christ, do vou ima^iine that it is onlv 
through continued beseeching that you can gain the ear 
of God ? Let me tell vou, vour Father does n't have 
to-be roused. He 's waitina" for vou. 



XEITHER SAVED XOR LOST. 

If there is one thing above another that the average 
man out of Christ does not like, it is to be told that he 
is lost. He is not willing to stand out for Christ when 
the call is made, but he certainly does not want to be 
counted among those who are against him. 



42 Side Windows; or^ 

It was beginning to rain^ and the mother called to 
her little son to come into the house. The child paid 
no attention to the command. 

^^Are n't jou coaming in V^ said his aunt f ro^m the 
doorwav. 

^^Then you are going to disobey mamma?" 
^^No^ I am not/' returned the boy^ with an injured 
air. ^^I 'm not going to do anything. I 'm going to 
stay right here where I am.'' 

So with the man who hears God's call and refuses 
to come. lie is n't obeying, but then he is n't disobey- 
ing. He is n't going to do anything. He is just going 
to stay where he is. 



THE CHUECH IN BUSINESS. 

A church-member was remonstrated with by the 
preacher for the way in which he made his living. 
While it was not what is generally called gambling, 
even the man himself did not deny that it was that. 
^^ There is nothings unfair about it/' said the man; 
^^men know the risks when they go into it." 

^^Then you would n't object to the other members 
of the ch.urch making their money in the same way V^ 

^^No, except that the business would be apt to be; 
overcrowded." 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 43 

^^Suppose we raise a fund and go into it as a 
church f The man hesitated. 

^^That would be different/' he said. ^^I think a 
church ought to be religious, and has no business 
meddling with such things/' 

^Then neither have you^" the minister replied. 
"The church is simply the men and women who belong 
to it." 



THE END OF THE J0UK:N'EY. 

Here Is a man who tells me that he believes in the 
Bible and, therefore, in future reward and punishment. 
He would like to go to heaven when he dies. Indeed, 
he has friends whom he hopes one day to meet there. 
Still, he is going in the opposite direction, because he 
likes the road better. Let me show him how incon- 
sistent he is. He informs me that he has been offered 
a position in San Francisco. It is just the place he 
has been looking for, and he has friends he wishes to 
join there. Indeed, it is the only possible opening 
for him. By and by I see him taking the train for 
Washington. "Why," I say, "what does this mean? 
This train will not take voai to San Francisco. I 
thought you wanted to go there ?" 

"Oh, I do!" he returns earnestly, ^^but I like the 
Baltimore & Ohio Koad better than the Pacific." 



44 Side Windows; or. 

You would doubt that man's sanity. ^^Wkat is he 
going to do when he gets to the end of his journey V^ 
you ask. What indeed? It is a queistion for you to 
ask yourself. yVhat are you going to do? 



FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST. 

A young man who was highly ambitious, and who 
believed that he had made an important mechanical 
discovery, found himself in such sore straits that he 
was forced to accept the position of a common laborer 
about a large factory. He hoped to get togeither suffi- 
cient means to enable him to perfect the invention 
that would give him fame and fortune. His work, 
however, was so exhausting that he could scarcely keep 
awake, much less study after his daily tasks were 
finished. Once or twice the wish had come to him 
that he might have the opportunity of laying the matter 
before the owner of the mill, but there was small hope 
that he would ever be able to gain an audience with 
the great man. 

One day he was notified that he would be expected 
to go to work in another part of the factory. ^^The 
work is a good deal harder than what you are doing 
noAV," his informant told him, ^^but the boss saw you 
the other day and picked you out as the only man in 
the room fitted for it." For a moment the young; man's 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 45 

heart grew faint within him. Harder work than he 
was doing now! How conld he do it? His strength 
was now being used to the limit. Still there seemed 
to be nothing else to be done, so the following morning 
he went with the superintendent to his new place. As 
he entered the room, he saw a noble-looking man in- 
specting one of the machines. 

"Yes, that 's the boss/' the superintendent whis- 
pered, answ^ering his questioning look; 'lie always 
comes and works beside the man that takes this joh/^ 
The Young man could scarcely realize the good for- 
tune. Here was the opportunity he had not dared to 
hope for, and he had come so near turning away from 
it. How many have learned a like lesson ! They have 
gone tremblingly to some heavy task, saying, "I am 
not able," to find in it a new and close fellowship with 
him whose life was that of a servant. The Master 
always comes and toils beside the servant who takes 
up some heavy task for his sake. 



WHEJs^ HE COMES. 



A gentleman visiting a cei-tain schoc^-l gave out that 
he would give a prize to the pupil whose desk he found 
in the best order when he returned. "'But when will 
you return ?" some of them asked. 

"That I can not tell,'' was the answer. 



46 Bide Windows; or, 

A little girl, who had been noted for her disorderly 
habits announced that she meant to win the prize. 

^^You!" her schoolmates jeered; ''whj, your desk 
is always out of order." 

^^Oh ! but I mean to clean it the first of every week." 
^^But suppose he should come at the end of the 
week ?" some one asked. 

"Then I will clean it every morning." 
"But he may come at the end of the day." 
For a moment the little girl was silent. "I know 
what I'll do," she said decidedly; "I'll just keep it 
clean." 

So it must be with the Lord's servants who would 
be ready to receive the prize at his coming. It may be 
at midnight, at cock-crowing, or in the morning. The 
exhortation is not, "Get ye ready," but, "Be ye ready." 



BY HIS AUTHOEITY. 
(John XIV. 13.) 

"If ye shall ask anything in my name [by my 
autliority']^ I w^ill do it." Let me give yoii an illustra- 
tion that helped make those w^o-rds plain to me. My 
fatheir was a dry-goods merchant and I remember that 
he somednaes sold goods to men who did not pay foT 
them in money. They were factory employes, and, 
instead *of money, they brought orders from their 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 47 

employers. "Whatever you ask for by my authority/' 
the employer had said to his men, "you will get." If 
John Smith brought an order for ten dollars' worth 
of goods, and signed by his employer, he got them. 
It did n't, however, warrant tbe man in asking for 
twenty dollars' worth of goods. He had no authority 
for that ; his employer had not told him that he could 
go to the store and get whatever he wanted, but whatever 
his signature authorized. Jesus never gave a warrant 
for indiscriminate asking. We have no authority for 
asking for everything that desire prompts. If we ask 
for these things, it must be in our owm name, and not 
in the name of Him who never directed us to do it. 



THIKSTIXG FOR THE WORLD. 

"The man would never have gone back to his cups 
if he had had plenty of nourishing food," said a phy- 
sician, concerning a reformed man who had lately con- 
formed. "As long as he was eating and drinking of 
that which nourished his body, the old appetite did 
not assert itself." 

I thought of the words of Jesus regarding the living 
water, "'He that drinketh shall never thirst." It is 
he that has ceased to drink at this fountain who is in 
danger. The Christian who is continually drinking in 
supplies of gTace from the Word and from the place 



48 Side Wmdows; 07% 

of prayer will not thirst after the world. Beware of 
neglecting the living water. It is the devil's opportu- 
nity for snggesting that the wine of the world is pleasr 
ant to the taste. 



THAT YE MAY OBTAIN. 

A half-dozen boys were playing yesterday over in 
the lot. By and by one of them proposed a raca In 
a moment they were busy arranging details. There 
were to be prizes and honors to be given, not only to 
the winner, but to those who should finish the course 
in a certain length of time. With a great flourish 
the six started down the track. It would have been 
hard to tell which ones were likely to win. By and 
by they retorned, all of them breathless and two of 
them triumphant. These two had brought back all 
the honors. ^^But what was the trouble with the 
others ?'' some one questioned. "Did n't they run ?" 

"Oh, yes," returned one of the small victors ; "they 
run as hard as anybody, an' maybe a little harder 
while tiiey was at it. The reiason that they didn't 
get anything was that they did n't keep on. People 
has all their runnin' fo'r nothin' if they don't keep 
it up," he added sagely. The boy's philosophy will 
hold good in many places beside on the playground. 
There is a great deal of purposeleBs running iii tliif? 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 49 

world, and the worst failure is that w^hieh. makes 
previous effort count for naught "So run that ye may 
obtain/' Paul exhorts. I think he must have had in 
mind the Christian who was for awhile full of zeal 
and good works and then dropped out of the contest. 
The Christian who lives by fits and st-arts may succeed 
in spending a great deal of muscular strength, but it 
is all to no purpose. Beating the air is a profitable 
exercise beside it. We need not merely to try, but to 
keep on trying; not simply to run, but to hold out to 
the end. 



SUCH AS YOU HAVE. 



Two mechanics, going home one cold night, passed 
a lame man who had been on the street all day trsdng, 
with little success, to sell his poor wares. "Dear me !'^ 
said one of them, "hoAV miserable' that poor fellow 
looks. If I had plenty of money, I should like nothing 
better than to relieve such cases. The first thing I 
would do would be to get him a good pair of shoes 
and a comfortable cinitch that would make walking 
less painful for him." In the meantime, his friend 
had stopped and was talking to the lame man. 

^^Pretty bad walking, neighbor,'' he said cheerily. 
''Take my arm and maybe you can get along better. 
I am going your way ; that is, if you will tell me where 



50 Side Windows ; or, 

yon live.'^ He did not stop nntil he had seen the man 
safe in the little room and had sncceeded in kindling 
a fire. He filleidj the cracks ^ronnd the window with 
paper^ and left the poor man by his steaming kettle;, 
cheered and comforted. He did not say anything about 
his benevolent desires. He had no money, but he had 
given freely of what he had. He was like Peter, who 
said to the man who asked for alms, ^^Silver and gold 
have I none^ but such as I have, give I unto thee." 
Too many of us are disposed to be generous with such 
as we have not. 



CAK YOU TAKE IT WITH YOU? 

An artist spent many weary months modeling a 
wonderful group of figiireis. It was the embodiment 
of his loftiest dreams, and he spent his very life upo-n 
it. At last it was completed, and he made ready to 
transport it to the exhibition, where he hoped to win 
the prize that meant fame and fortune. At the last 
moment it was found that there was no way of getting 
his masterpiece out of the room in which it had been 
created. His work was a failure because it would 
not bear transportation. Instead of the triumphant 
hour of which he had dreamed, he must go to the place 
where the test was to be made, empty-handed. That 
is just what you are doing, my brother, if you are 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 51 

speoiding your life in amassing moneys or in the get- 
ting of f ame^ or any other worldly thing. It may look 
like a success to you now, but what of the time wheaa 
the call comes for you to appear before the Judge of 
all the earth ? It will be small satisfaction to you in 
that hour if you must go to meet God empty-handed, 
leaving behind you that which you have wrought. 



THE PEICE OF PEAYEE. 

^^I wish you would come down and lead our prayer- 
meeting to-night/' a young man said to a friend he 
met do^vn-town. ^*We are particularly anxious to get 
up an interest, and you know you have a gift for stir- 
ring people/' The young man thus petitioned demurred 
for a moment. What his friend had said was trua 
He was a Christian, so far as a blameless life was 
concerned, and yet it had been impossible to enlist 
him in really unselfish effort. His gift for "stirring" 
people had been exercised chiefly in furthering what 
was to his personal advantage. His friend's words 
appealed to his pride somewhat, so he agreed to go. 

When he arrived at the place of meeting, he learned 
that the prayer-meeting was to be held for the purpose 
of enlisting workers in a certain mission that was just 
now in great need. He tried to speak of the needs of 
the ease and to urge his hearers to help, but somehow 



52 Side Windoit^j or, 

his eloquent tongue soeoned to have deserted liim. 
When lie knelt down to pray, he foomd himself in a 
still mo-re difficult situation. He was mocking God 
when he asked him to put it into the hearts of others 
to do the things he himself was unwilling to do-. A 
conception of the needs of tJie case rushed over him, 
and, instead of asking that laborers be raised up, he 
finished in broken tones, ^^Lord, I am ready to go. 
Take me and use me/' 

It was not the first time that prayer for a sacrifice 
to lay upon the altar had led the man to offer himself. 
When men begin really to pray to God to send helpers, 
they may expect to hear their own names called. Jesus 
said unto his disciples, ^^Pray ye therefore the Lord of 
the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his 
harvest." Then he called the twelve unto him and 
sent them forth, saying, ^^As ye go, preach." 



HEEEIN IS HE GLOEIFIED. 

Two friends were talking of the family of a promi- 
nent man who had just died. "His oldest son wtas the 
source of great joy to him," one of them said. "He 
brought great distinction upon the family name." 

"And what of the other two?" 

"Oh! they were well enough. That is, they never 
did anything to disgrace their father. Still, they 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 53 

never glorified his name. If it depended upon them, 
the name would perish with tiiem/' 

There are disciples of whom something like this 
might be said. They have never done anything to 
disgrace the name they wear, but they have certainly 
not added to its influence and power. Jesus said, 
^^Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear mudi 
fruit/' 



EESPO^'SIBILITY FOR THE LOST. 

If you have been persuading yourself that you can 
withhold vour hand from the Lord's work and still 
remain gaiiltless, let me tell you that you are making 
an awful mistake. 

Out there is a field of grain that seems to be literally 
ervins; out for tbe sickle. For davs the o^^mer of the 
field had been scouring the country in search of men to 
help him gather in the harvest. The grain had reached 
that stage at which a single day's delay will mean its 
loss, ^ow the reapers are trooping out to the fields. 
You do not mean to join them, although you are nomi- 
nally one of them. ^^What a host there is!" you say. 
You really wish tliem success, but th.e day is warm and 
surely there are enough workers without you. Evening 
comes at last, and as the gleaners return from the field, 
you hear them say that much of the grain still remains 



54 Bide Windows; or, 

imgathered. That night thexe is a heavy rain and the 
outstanding grain is ruined. Who is to blame? Yon 
are. Not for all the loss, but for all the grain your 
hands might have garnered. Men, women, pledged 
to the service of God, can it be possible that you do 
not know that the force of workers now afield is piti- 
fully insufficient ? They know it, and even while they 
garner in what tJiey can, their hearts are breaking over 
that which must be lost. Pretty soon the darkness 
will be coming down upon us all. There will be some 
souls which no hand has reached out to save. Who is 
responsible ? You are. God pity you if you do not 
realize this till it is too late. 



HOW WE GET LOST. 



^^How did you get lost, darling?'' a mother asked 
of the little one who had been restored to her after 
hours of suspense. 

^^Why, it was this way,'' said the little girl. ^^I 
thought I could see more of the parade if papa did n't 
keep me so close to him, so I let go of his hand. I 
intended to take hold of it again in a minute, but some 
one came between us and then I could n't find him.'' 

Does n't tJiat sound like a leaf out of your history ? 
You never thought of getting away from Christ, but 
there came an hour when you concluded that you could 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 55 

see more of the world's pageant if you did not keep 
so close to him. You let go of his hand, and before 
you knew it something had come between you and him, 
so you wandered further and further gfe^vay. ^^Who 
shall separate us from the love of Christ?" l\"o one, 
beloved, so long as we keep hold of his hand. 



RESCUE O^ THE BEAIX. 

A gentleman tells the amusing story of a little dog 
that one day rescued a child from droiAvning. As a 
matter of course, he was praised and petted fo^r liis 
bravery. This so delighted his dogship that, from that 
time forth, savs his master, he had rescue on his brain. 
He utterly forsook his duties as house-dog and devoted 
himself to the more exciting business of rescuing the 
perishing. 

K^ either man, beast nor fowl could from that time 
forward venture into the water without encountering 
the danger of being violently seized and dragged to the 
shore by the zealous beast. Who has not met the human 
counterpart? There is the man who, in the revival 
meeting, succeeds in the noble achievement of saying a 
soul from the floods of sin. It is natural and right 
that he should not be satisfied y/ith once doing this, 
but there is such a thing as getting rescue on the brain 
to the exteiit that less attractive duties will b^ for- 



56 Side Windows; or, 

gotten. When simply filling the place in the pew on 
Sunday mornings, or teaching a quiet little class in 
the Sunday-school; or attending the mid-week prayer- 
meetingS; becomes too tame for his taste, he is not 
likely to be the man that God will use for emergencies. 



WHOLESALE EEFOEMATIOK 

A woman who had tried in vain to scrape the paint 
from the kitchen floor, finally hit upon the plan of 
pouring oil upon the floor and setting fire to the oil. 
It is needless to add that she got rid of the paint — 
and, incidentally, the house along with it. This 
extravagant method of gaining a point has no lack of 
precedent. 

A "schoolmaster,'' who knew that one of his pupils 
had broken a window, gave each one of them a sound 
whipping in order to make certain of the punishment 
of the guilty one. 

These incidents seem ridiculous enough, and yet 
you and I are in danger of applying the same principle 
in far mo-re serious matters. We negleiot ipersorDal 
reproof and expostulation, and deliver ourselves to 
an hundred or.five hundred people when we are aiming 
at one or two. 

Perhaps the preacher is the greatest sinner in this 
particular, but a good many of us are certainly not in 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 57 

the position to cast the first stone at him. How manj 
times you have used your time in prayer-meeting to 
give some one a ^^good hit" regardless of the forty-nine 
other listeners who needed no hitting ? It is an easier 
way than that of personal remonstrance, but certainly 
it is n't a better one. Christ showed us a more excollent 
way, though it tabes more time and godly patience to 
follow it up: ^^If thy brother shall trespass against 
thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him 
alone." 



GO OR SEXD. 



A young woman who, while poor herself, had many 
rich, influential friends and relatives^ felt that she 
ought to devote her life to working among the neglected 
classes in one of our large cities. Her friends tried 
to turn her from her purposa They ridiculed her, 
and told her that she simply wanted to do something 
sensational. A servant girl in the family where the 
young woman made her home, heard of it. She was 
ignorant and poor, but she was a Christian. One night, 
when her work was done, she went timidly to the young 
woman's door and tapped for admission. ^^I just 
wanted to tell you to go," she said simply ; "I 've al- 
ways wanted to, but I can't. I hope you will go in 
my place." The would-be missionary had been just 



\ 



58 Side Windoivsj or^ 

on the point of giving np, but this message saved her. 
^^Yes, I will go/' she said, joyful tears running down 
her cheeks. ^^I will go in your stead, for God will 
know and I know that it was yoiu who sent me.'' 



HOW SATAK GETS POSSESSION. 

There is a story of a man who rented a piece of 
ground, with the agreement that he was to ha.ve pos- 
session of it until his crop should have matured. He 
utilized the opportunity and made the ground virtually 
his own by sowing acorns. The lesson is an obvious 
one. Give the devil one hour in which to scatter his 
seed in your heart, and he may stay with you the rest 
of your lifetime to look after the crop. 



AFTEKWAED. 



Do n't be deceived into thinking a thing is pleasure 
because it starts off well. Enquire of your friend at 
the end rather than at the beginning of his journeiy, 
if you would know whether it paid. 

It was one Sunday afternoon in the early summer, 
and there were only a few people on the streets. A 
tally-ho rolled by. Its occupants were laughing and 
singing and waving their banners. They were on their 
way to one of the summer gardens outside the city, 



Lights on Scripture Trutlis, 59 

where there would be feasting and drinking and danc- 
ing, that would last w^ell into the night. 

A dozeai young people with hjniin-books and Bibles 
passed do^^nl the s-treot. They w^ere neither laughing 
nor singings though they certainly did not look un- 
happy. They were on their w^ay to hold a gospel meet- 
ing in a neglected part of the city. AccoTding to the 
careless looker-on, the first party was going out for an 
afternoon's pleasure, the other to perform a disagree- 
able duty. It was time for the evening service in one 
of the do\^Ti-town churches when the mission w^orkers 
returned. After the gospel meeting they had separated. 
One liad gone to see a sick man, another to look up 
Sunday-school scholars; others) to talk wtth friends 
who seemed to be on the verge of the kingdom. Xow, 
as they met, they were eagerly talking over their 
experiences. How their faces shone. Somehow it 
was not like the light that comes from ordinary pleas- 
ures. Like the seventy, they had returned with joy. 
Without planning for it, they had been having a ^^good 
time." 

It was almost midnight when the other party came 
back. What a sorry-looking set they were ! Their very 
belongings had a disgusted, disheveled look. Some of 
them w^ere singing, but their songs w^ere discordant and 
w^ere mingled with curses and angry yells. As for their 
faces — v/ell, you w^ould n't have cared to look into them 



60 Side Windows; 01% 

a second time. No, they were not returning with joy. 
Men never do when they have been pursuing the pleas- 
ures of sin, and, after all, it is the afterward that 
counts. 



FEARLESS OE EOOLHARDY? 

A young woman, telling the story of an experience 
wdth a fractious horse, said, ^Tather was frightened, 
but I was n't alarmed in the least.'^ 

^^That w^as because you hadn't sense enough," an 
old horseman interposed, bluntly. While her fearless- 
ness may not have been due to lack of sense, it was 
at least to be attributed to a failure to understand the 
danger to which she was exposed. Now and then a 
young Christian boasts that he has no fear of tempta- 
tion. Instead of impressing us with his strength of 
character, he only succeeds in impressing us with his 
foolhardiness. 



SEEING STARS. 



I remember when I was a child of hearing a man, 
who had been digging a well, say that when he was 
in the bottom of the well, he looked up and saw the 
stars. I was shocked at the man's lack of veracity. 
^^He could n't have been telling the truth," I said, ^^be^ 
cause there are no stars in the daytime." I lived to 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 61 

learn that tlie stars were always there, but that it 
needed surrounding darkness to reveal them to our 
eyes. Did you ever think that it is thus with so many 
of the promises of God ? The gay devotee to the world, 
with the sun of prosperity shining full upon him, hears 
the Christian speak of the exceeding joy that servico 
and sacrifice have brought into his life, looks dubiously 
at the man, and then sets him down as a mysticist. 
^^The idea of his finding pleasiire in such things ! Why, 
there is no pleasure there." It is the soul that descends 
into the depth where the world's light has not power 
to penetrate, to whom the stars of divine love and hope 
and consolation reveal their glory. 



THE REAL SURRENDER. 

A little girl, who was what we call ^^left-handed,'^ 
was toiling over her copy-book, awkwardly striving to 
trace the word of the copy with her left hand. 
^^Margaret," the teacher said, coming and bending over 
her, ^^do n't you know that you will never learn to ^vrite 
w^ell in that way ?" The child humbly assented. ^^And 
do n't you want to give up writing with your left 
hand r 

"No, ma'am, I do n't want to," the little one replied 
frankly. "You see, it is because I like best to do it 
this way that makes me want to; but, teacher," look- 



62 Side Windoius; or, 

ing up appealingiy, ^^I wish some one would make me 
want to do it the right way." 

Here is a pretty good illustration of the diificulty 
that surrounds many of us. We may desire to be wholly 
surrendered to the Lord, and yet, so long as an idol is 
an idol, no man can truthfully say that he Avants to 
tear it from his heart. Consecration, for most of us, 
means not a mere lip surrender, and asking God. to take 
what we are not willing to give up, but the willingness 
to put ourselves into the hands of the great Teacher, 
that we may be made willing. 



THE COST OF IT. 



The question of what the stage gives you in the 
way of entertainment is not the only one, my friend. 
First let me ask, w^hat did iti cost? How many lives 
are every year sullied by the temptations behind the 
scenes, in order that the play-going public may be en- 
tertained ? 

A young woman, walking near a steep precipice, 
saw a lovely flower growing a little distance below her, 
and expressed a wish to possess it. Her companion 
volunteered to get it for her. He did so, but as he 
placed the flower in her outstretched hand, his foot 
slipped and he was hurled to an awful death on the 
rock below. The young woman carried the flower 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 63 

home, but we can scarcely imagine that its beauty was 
now delightful to her. It may be, my young Christian, 
that the pleasure you find at the theater is sometimes 
in itself beautiful; what I want you to remember is 
that souls for whom Christ died were risked that vou 
might have it. 



SEEK FIEST! 



A young woman spent last winter in a Western city. 
While she was there she formed an acquaintance with 
a lady who was stepping at the same house, and the 
acquaintance ripened into friendship. This fall the 
visitor came to the citv where her friend lived. She 

K. 

remained in the city four months, and huntefl up all 
the people she had ever known; but not until the day 
before her departure did she seek out her former 
friend. It is true that the others she had sought out 
were society people and people of wealth ; this in itself 
explained her conduct. But you may be sure that her 
friend no longer believed in her professions of affec- 
tion. All this was natural. Xo matter what she might 
sav, the visitor had shown bv her actions that she 
estimated the other verv liorhtlv. Here is a thouorht 
for us about early seeking God. We show that we put 
very little value upon him when we seek everything 
else first Yet this is cue of the most common sin^i- 



64 Side Windcios; or, 

K large proportion of tlie young men and womeoa who 
stay away from Christ really intend to seek him some 
day. They have simply put som.e other thing first, 
^^When I have accomplished this or that/' is the excuse. 
God never asked for the second place in any life. 



AS FOE YOUKSELF. 



A mother, going away for a few hours, told her 
daughter not to take any of the berries from the little 
bed in the garden, as she had promised them to a sick 
friend. On her return, she was surprised to find the 
vines stripped of their fruit, and the child's dress and 
hands covered w^ith beorry stains. ^^I know you told me 
not to touch them, mamma," the little girl began in 
iself-justiifiteatiion, ^^but some childreD) came into the 
yard and were about to take them all. I thought that 
if they were to be eaten, I might as well have a part 
of them. You see, I could n't have saved the berries 
by letting them alone." ^^But you might have saved 
your own clothes from being stained," the mother re- 
turned significantly, looking at the ruined dress. 

The child's logic is strikingly akin to that with 
which the evil one beguiles a good many grown-up 
childTen. A minister, when remou'strated with for 
having performed a marriage ceremony betweetn an 
ignorant^ though innocent, young girl, and a vicious, 



Lights on Scripture TrutUs. 65 

dissipated man, said, "If I had not done it, some one 
else would.'^ He forgot the stain it put upon his own 
garments. A young man is offered a position with a 
firm whose business he knows to be a hurtful one. If 
it were in his power to exterminate the business, he 
would do it, but it is not. Somebody will take the 
plaee if he refuses it, so what difference can it make ? 
The difference between staining his soul and keeping 
it clean. God's commands look not alone toward stop- 
ping the progress of evil without, but toward keeping 
ourselves unspotted from the world. 



LITTLE DANGEKS, 



The power of little things isn't always a pleasant 
thing to think about. A few years ago there was, in a 
certain section of our country, an awful loss of life 
caused by the breaking of a dam. A party of pic^ 
nickers had been camping near the dam, and a young 
man drove a small, sharpened stick into the wall, that 
he might hang the dinner-pail upon it. It was a 
small opening, but it allowed a few^ drops of water 
to trickle through. It opened the way for the great 
flood of waters that, in a few hours, swept over the 
country. It is an illustration of what has happened 
in many a life. An evil thought has opened the way 
for an evil life. A little time spent in the company 



66 



Side Windows; 01% 



of one who was base has ruined a soul for eternity. 
When we tjhink of the awful power that may be 
wrapped up in a little thing, how dare we try to live 
our lives without His guiding hand? 



COJs^TENTIOUS PEAOEMAKEES. 

Perhaps it has been true at times that the only 
way to get peace was by means of war ; oftener, how- 
ever, the remedy has proven far worse than that which 
it strove to banish. There is a story told of a man 
who was wakened one night by the sound of a pistol- 
shot in his room. On inquiring the cause, his servant 
replied that there was a rat in the room, and, fearing 
it would waken his master, he shot it. 

Here is logic surpassed only by that of the brotheir 
who is willing to throw the w^hole church into a turmoil 
for the sake of getting rid of something that he fears 
may cause dissension. 



WHAT THE TEMPLE IS FOE. 

Suppose, when that beautiful chapel of yours was 
completed, the trustees had said: ^Trom henceforth 
we are going to see that this temple is kept clean, and 
that nothing unworthy ever enters its doors." So the 
house was kept clean and free from dust, but it was 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 67 

ne-ver once opened for service. ]^o hymns of prayer or 
praise ascended here, and never a soul found Christ 
within its walls. Would n^t we say that these men had 
been untrue to their trust ? The temple should be kept 
clean, it is true, hut it was built for service. So, Chris- 
tians, let us not make sure that we are using the temple 
of this body to his glory, simply because we are keep- 
ing it strong and pure. It was built for service. 



AN IMPERTINENT QUESTION. 

On the train last summer a young girl was fairly 
boiling ove-r with indignation at a preacher who had 
been asking her some plain questions about her soul. 
^^Why, he even asked me if I were sure I was really 
on the road to heaven," she said. "He liad no right 
to talk like that to me, and to make me feel perfectly 
dreadful.'^ 

"What did the brakeman say to you when yoai 
boarded the train?" her friend asked. 

"Why, he only asked me where I was going.'^ 

"And you didn't mind it at all. You knew that 
he was asking you to save you from a possible mis- 
take. The preacher had the same motive, only the 
case was a good deal more serious." 

The young woman is only one of a very large class, 
who consider it an intrusion when you concern your- 



68 Side Windows; or^ 

selves about their lack of concern. There is one thing 
here worth noting: whenever questions like this are 
disturbing us, it is pretty conclusive proof that we are 
shutting our eyes to danger. 



THE COMFOETEE. 



During the war some of the men who were holding 
a few prisoners received a message that relief was on 
the way. They were holding their own at the greatest 
cost ; provisions were low, and they felt that they could 
not hold out much longer. What cheeir the message 
brought! They we-re not alone. They were allied to 
a great power that was at their service. But the pris- 
oners did not rejoice ; they had no part in the blessings 
of their captors. So the Coon'foirter comes to help 
the children of God alone, and they alone rejoice in 
the promise of his coming. 



DAIs^GEES Uis^SEEN, 



A doctor was hurrying along a lonely road at a 
late hour one night, thinking only of reaching home 
as soon as jK>ssible. As he neared a small house by 
the roadside, he heard what seemed to be a cry of 
distress. Alighting from his horse, he found that a 
little child had been calling to him from the doorway. 



Lights 0)1 Scripture Truths. 69 

Inside was a man who would have died but for his 
timely aid. He remained all night with the man, and 
thought nothing of it, except that he had saved the 
man's life. He never knew that do^^Ti the road that 
night two men had lain in wait to rob and murder 
him. 

So those of us who have given ourselves to God 
will never know^ the full storv of our deliverance. 
Saved, means saved from the evil that awaited us, had 
we pursued our own way. 



^^JEST DAJs^GEEOUS." 



Among those who enlisted during the Civil War 
was a man commonly supposed to be only half-witted. 
When the first skirmish in which his company took 
part was over, he was found crouching under a wagon 
some distance away from the scene of battle. He 
refused to go back to the ranks, but finally succeeded 
in making his way back home, where, on account of 
his mental weakness, he was not arrested. 

^^Eun ?" he exclaimed, a little while afterward when 
some one was twitting him on his army experience. 
^^I guess anybody would have run. I tell you it 's jest 
dangerous to be in the army.'' 

There is something truly ludicrous about the soldier 
being surprised that he should encounter danger, but 



70 Side Windoivs; or, 

I am sure most of us could find a counterpart of it 
without seeking far. It is n't as much trouble to enlist 
Christian soldiers as it is to get them to stand at their 
post of duty after the firing has begun. Too many 
are surprised and indignant that they should encoun- 
ter the enemy^ and justify their desertion on the plea 
that it is ^^jest dangerous." 



WHAT SHALL THIS MAN DO? 
(John XXI. 22.) 

What Christian worker has not encountered this 
question over and over again? Press home to the 
heart of some one the plain teaching of God's word 
till he can no longer evade the truth, to but meet with 
the irrelevant question, ^^But what of this one, or that 
one? My mother never saw the matter in that light, 
and surely God accepted her." My friend, what is 
that to you? Be content to leave to God the things 
that are God's, and set to work upon the problem of 
your own salvation. 

Hear this parable of the children, A group of 
children were playing in a grove near a schoolhouae. 
By and by the master came to the door and called them 
to come in. They heard the sound, but did not recog- 
nize the voice, and went on with their play, so the 
master kept on calling. At last some of the children 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 71 

wandered near eaiough to discern the voice of their 
teacher, and to understand that he was calling them 
to come. 

^Tet us go into the house at once," one of them 
exclaimed, ^^or we shall be punished.'^ 

^^ITo/' returned the other, ^^I do not thinly we need 
to go. The boYS back there are among the most 
obedient scholars in the school, and they will not come. 
They do not even know that he called." 

"Yes, but we know it, Tom," was the reply, "and 
that makes all the difference in the icorldf' 

"Why will we who have the light seek to be judged 
by the standard of those that have it not ? They could 
not come, since they did not know He had called. But 
we have heard, and that makes all the difference in 
the world. 



WHAT DOES YOUE FACE SAY? 

A young man once said: "When I was a little 
fellow and a new dish came on the table, I was always 
afraid of getting something I did not like ; so I would 
Vv^ait till my brother tasted it. If he looked as though 
he enjoyed it, then I would try it, but if he made a 
wry face, nothing would ever persuade me to take it 
into my mouth. His very look was a testimony for 
or against." Did it ever occur to you that the world 



72 Side Windoiusj of, 

is watching you and me in much the same way? I 
do n't know that they are conscious of it, but the fact 
that you go with frowning, dissatisfied face to your 
work will count for more than you think, while the 
shining face is a wonderful testimony for Christ. 



TWO WAYS OF LOOKING AT IT. 

^^Children and young people are often brought into 
the church before ihej know what the step means,'^ 
a gentleman said the other day. ^Te^ver persons who 
liave been brought to Christ in their maturer years 
fall away than those who take the step in early life.'' 

Very true — for the same reason that white sheep 
eat more than black ones, and that the deiath rate 
among persons over ninety is fa.r less thaoi amon^g 
people under that age. 



YOUE NAME. 



A salesman in a furniture store was showing some- 
thing which is called a bookcase. ^^I wish you would 
open the door and show me where you put the books," 
said the lady to whom he was showing it. 

^^Oh, that isn't what it is for," was the rejoinder. 
^^It is used as a bedstead." The good woman was 
indignant. It was dishonest, she averred, to call a 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 73 

piece of furniture one thing when it was to be used f o^r 
another. Doubtless she was right. The matter is, 
however, more seirious when mortal and spiritual things 
are concerned. Fot instance, to call a man a Christian 
when he is really de^^oted to selfish and not to Chris^ 
tian uses, is dishonest, but it is more than that. It 
leads men to go to him for that which they will not 
be able to find in him. Aleixander is said to have 
commanded a retreating soldier who woTe the eanpor- 
or's name, *^^Honor that name o-r drop it." The Cap- 
tain of our salvation is not less jealous of his honor. 



USII^G YOUR LIBERTY. 

Recently several small boys, left alone in the house 
for the afternoon, conceived the brilliant idea of form- 
ing a fire company. To make the affair more realistic, 
they built a fire of boxes and barrels in the cellar, with 
the intention of putting out the fire by means of the 
garden hose. When the real fire company succeeded 
in putting out the fire, it was found that the only 
serious damage done was the burning of the kit<chen 
floor. That night the mother of one of the boys un- 
dertook to reprove him for his part in the affair. 
'^^Why, mamma,'' he returned, with an injured air, 
^^you did n't tell us not to build a fire. You told us 
pot to track in mud, ot let burglars get into the house, 



74 Side Wmdoivs; or, 

or load up the old rifle. I noticed the fire was about 
the only thing you didn't mention.'' 

The incident reminded me of the individual, all 
too well knowm to most of us., whose eyes are open not 
to read the marching orders of the King, but rather 
to see how many things he can do without breaking the 
letter of the law. ^^Why, I can do this," he exclaims 
joyfully; ^^you can't find a word in the Bible against 
it." True. The Bible is silent upon a good many 
subjects that even common law takes up. For instance, 
there is nothing in the Bible about making counterfeit 
money, wrecking railroad trains, or riding on the elec- 
tric cars without paying your fare.. The fact that the 
Bible does not prohibit a thing is really no argument 
in its favor. 



REFUSIls^G THE PRIZE. 

^^There 's a man that once offered me ten thousand 
dollars and I did n't take it," a young man said of a 
gentleman Who passed down the street. 

'^Why did n't you?" 

"Because I did n't know it was ten thousand dol- 
lars," he answered. 

The fact was the gentleman had come to him and 
given him a bit of advice, to which no heed was given. 
It turned out afterward that if he had taken the advice. 



Liglils on. Scri/pture Truths.. 75 

it would have made him ten thousand dollars. I think 
you and I have had a good many experiences like that, 
only the riches we might have won are impeTishable. 
That day when Duty said, "Go/' and you said, "Oh^ 
I can't go/' you mis-sed a prize that would have been 
yours through all eternity. 



UNOLE SAM AS A PKIEST. 

One can hardly give careful attention to the end 
of the liquor question where the counting of the cost 
comes in, without being convinced that our Uncle Sam 
is exceedingly shoTt-siig'hted. The liquor man pays 
him money — ^big money, to follow his own elegant waj 
of expressing it^ — and our uncle builds him a few miles 
of turnpike, or puts a stained-glass window into some 
public building, in the belief that the liquor man ia 
paying the bill. To be sure, he is held up for the 
support of idiots, lunatics and paupers, and to pay the 
cost of murdeir trials, etc., for which the liquor man is 
undoubtedly responsible; but — oh, well, sucsh things 
do not count! 

There is a little story, which comes doiwn to us from 
the sixteenth century, that furnishes something like a 
parallel. When the practice of selling indulgences was 
at its height, a nobleman, who had a grudge against 
a certain priest, sent for the father and asked him to 



76. Side Windoivs; or, 

name the price for tlie privilege of berating and ro'b- 
bing the man he hated. The priest named a good 
round sum^ and^ after some parleying, the money was 
paid over and the writ of permission delivered into 
the hands of the nobleman. On his way home with 
the gold, the priest was waylaid by the nobleman, and 
was beaten and robbed of his money. When he was 
arraigned for committing the crime, the "gentleman'^ 
produced his license and was discharged. But that 
happened in the Dark Ages. 



THE DAlsTGEE OF EEVIVAL MEETIlTaS. 

The life-saver dashes out into the raging water, 
and comes to shore with a man who, but fox him, would 
have perished. He turns tha half-drowned man over 
to the group on the shore and goes back to his woxk. 
The next day we learn that the rescued man has died, 
and we say, ^^Ah! there is the danger in saving 
men.'' It is true that he was lost where he was. It 
is true that we left the poor fellow just where the 
rescuer laid him when he was b'rought out of the 
water. Some people might say that he really died of 
neglect and expo-sure, and — he did. The same thing is 
true of the large proportion of those who do not long 
survive the special meeting. We are not willing to 
work to hold what we worked to get. There is peril. 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 77 

real peril, surrounding the soul that has lately been 
brought to shore, but it is not in the revival, but in 
the afterward. Surely the displeasure of God must 
rest upon the church that refuses to ente>r into an 
effort to bring men and women to Christ, because it 
does not want to take the responsibility of caring for 
them until they have become strong. 



THE POWEK OF THE INDIVIDUAL. 

Several years ago George Marsh went over to a fac- 
tory town to work in the planing-mills. He was just a 
common sort of boy; he could read and write credit- 
ably, but he had not what any one could call an edu- 
cation. Still he was a deeply ardent Christian, and 
had faith enough in God to enable him to forget him- 
self. He went into the church, and though he felt 
the coldness, he said, ^^I '11 warm< up my comeir any- 
way." He shook hands with the young people neixt to 
him in the Sunday-school and in the Endeavor society, 
and told them that he was a stranger, and hoped they 
would help him to find a way to make himself useful. 
He invited the men at the shops to come to the meetr 
ing, and then went around to the president of the 
Endeavor society and the chairman of the Social Coan- 
mittee and asked them to help him give the young men 
a hearty welcome. The sight of strangers being cor- 



78 Side Windows; or, 

diallv welcomed stirred the whole society, and one and 
another ventured to do a little personal work. I can't 
tell the whole story, but the leaven worked, and to- 
day people like to go to that church, because the fires 
o£ love for souls burn so brightly. The preacher who 
told the story said that the whole transformation could 
be traced to George March, and the young man had n't 
done a thing either that any common man could n't 
have done. 



PAYIXG TOO MUCH FOR SO:\rE GOOD 

THIXGS. 

The good woman of the house had just returned 
from a shopping campaign, and was showing her pur- 
chases to her bosom friend. ^'Here is something," she 
said, unwrapping a pair of warm, winter shoes of a 
peculiar fashion, ^^that I have been looking for for 
three years. I paid five dollars for them, and I ex- 
pect them to save me no end of colds and neuralgic 
pains." 

^^They are certainly excellent shoes," returned her 
friend, ^'but you paid too much for them. I bought 
a pair exactly like them last week for three dollars." 

"Oh, well," said the first, ''I could better afford to 
pay fifty dollars than go without them." 

Xo doubt this was true, but it remained that her 
five dollars had not returned to her the full equivalent 



Lights on Scripfure Truths. 79 

for its purchasing power. Some one was commenting 
on the folly of a man and his wife who had just re- 
turned from a three vears' bicvcle-ride-* 

t' c 

'*It certainly wasn^t a profitable expenditure of 
time and strength," he ventured. 

"I do n't agree with you/' said anothei'. "You re- 
member how they rode that morning they started out? 
They beoit almost to the handle-bars. They came back 
sitting erect. It was worth a journey around the 
world for them to learn that it does n't pay to make 
a jack-knife of your spinal column."" 

Probably this would have been true if the lesson 
could not have been learned in a less expensive way. 
It is paying too much when one takes a journey roimd 
the globe to learn what was within his reach within 
the corporation limits. 

In entering upon a series of meetings to which the 
church had long looked forward, the leader refused to 
consider the advice of the majority. ^V^lile at first 
there seemed to be a promise that scores would be 
brought to the Lord, the effort resulted in the con- 
version of but one man. "Oh, well, it paid, if it was 
expensive," said the heady leader. "One soul is worth 
more than the meeting could have cost," 

Xo one will dispute this last statement, and yet 
there had been money and power dissipated, that ought 
to have brought in good returns. God doesn't ask us 



80 Side Windoivs; or^ 

simply to do something good: he asks us to do our 
best. In the Lord's business as w^U as in our own, 
we ought to concern ourselves about making the most 
possible out of that which has been invested in it. 



PKEJUDICED CEITICISM. 

A young woman, just reiturned from a fashionable 
finishing-school, saw in the garden a flower that she 
greatly admired, and enquired what it was. She was 
informed that it was a hollyhock. ^^Surely, it can't 
be," she replied. "Or, if it is, it must be a very im- 
perfect specimen, because I did some hollyhocks in 
oil when I was at school, aud these are not at all like 
them." 

The young woman reminds us forcibly of tho 
critic who is certain of the faultiness of the Bible, 
because it is not at all like the theories he has con- 
trived concerning it. 



METHODS AND MEN. 



A physician, taking charge of a patient, pi^ofessieid 
to be able to cure the man if he would folloav direcr 
tions. Less than a week after this the sick man died, 
and the doctor was severely censured. In reply to 
the charge of having made false pretensions, he s^id 



Lights oa Scripture Truths. 81 

that a part of his directions was that the patient should 
take the i^^emedies for at least a year, and his orders 
had not been carried out. Whether the man of medi- 
cine we're honest or not, we will at least agree that to 
begin upon a patient that can not possibly last a month, 
a course of treatment that it will take a year to com- 
plete, shows a lack of wisdom. 

It is so in spiritual matters. While the Christian, 
who comes into the church with years of careful train- 
ing behind the step, is apt to furnish the most satis- 
factory results, we must reach the man who is trem- 
bling on the verge of ruin by a speedier, more heroic 
method. 



THY WILL, NOT MINE. 

A young girl, who had struggled with the question 
of submission to God, said : '^I could see easily enough 
that making God's way my way was very different 
from submitting just because I had to do it, or because 
I felt that it was my duty. I was on the way down to 
Miss Howlanid's to see about having my new dress 
made. I had some notion of how I wanted it to look, 
but when I showed her the materials she told me how 
it ought to be made and trimmed, and it was n't the 
least bit as I had planned. I did n't altogether under- 
stand her, but I fell right in with her plan and was 



82 Side Windows; or, 

perfectly satisfied to have her go ahead with it. Now, 
it is just because I know Miss Howland so well, and 
we are in such perfect sympathy on questions of color, 
etc., that I am at rest in letting her work it out, though 
I do n't know just how she is going to do it She 
knows what suits me better than I know myself. And 
it seemed to me," dropping her voice a little, "that 
we ought to be just that wHy with God." 

If our hearts are in harmony, we will be able to 
say that his will is ours, even when we don't know 
what it is. He know^s what is suited to us better than 
we can possibly know. 



EESPONSIBILITY AND OPPORTUNITY. 

Now and then men seem to get satisfaction out 
of the fact that they have had opportunities for being 
religious. Jesus tells of the men who shall come up 
in the judgment and offer as a reason for the clemency 
of the Judge, "Thou hast taught in our streets." 
"Lord," they will say, "don't you remember when, 
through one of your ambassadors, you spoke to the 
crowds down in Cincinnati, or New York, or Chicago, 
I stood on the edge of the crowd? When you taught 
in a little country church, where father and mother 
used to find so much comfort, I used to sit and listen." 
Yery flimsy it sounds? Yes, my brother, it is worse 



Lights on Scripture Triitlis, 8 



o 



than that. Whoever has once consciously stood before 
the open door of opportunity can not be quite the same 
again. It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom 
in the day of judgment than for you. 



DEIFTING INTO IT. 



A lady brought her little girl to a teacher that 
she might learn music. The child came up week after 
week without knowing her lesson, and finally the teach- 
er appealed to tbe mother. ^^Does your daughter prac- 
tice?" she asked. ^'^JTo," returned the mother, "and I 
won't mate her do it ; I 'd rather she 'd drift into music 
sort of natural." It is needless to say that she never 
drifted into it. I am afraid that there are people who 
come into the church with pretty much the same ideas. 
They make the start and then never give tbemselves 
any more concern. They expect to drift into saint- 
hood. 



EEALIZING ON THE PEOMISES. 

A man was found on the street almost frozen and 
starving to death. Those who took him in were sur- 
prised to find on his person, checks amounting to 
several hundred dollars. The checks were payable to 
the man, and bore the name of a rich philanthropist. 



84 Side Wmdoius; or, 

^^Why did you suffer when you had these ?" they ques- 
tioned. 

"Oh, well, that was not money,'' he replied. "Then, 
how did I know that I would get the money if I pre- 
sented them?'' 

So we, with a check on heaven for strength suffi- 
cient for all things, often fail to realize upon it the 
great riches for which it stands. 



HOW THEY Fmi) FAULT. 

Last summer a florist, whose roses were in danger 
of being destroyed by slugs, sent a small boy out into 
the garden to help rid it of tlie destructive pests. After 
the boy had gone over the garden, tlie owner went out, 
and, finding tte slugs seemingly as numjerous as ever, 
went to the boy and said: 

"Did you find any slugs on the roses ?" 

"Oh, yes," returned the boy; "I found the buslies 
covered with them.". 

"And left them in that way, it seems," said the 
man, sarcastically. 

"Why, yes," was thei wondering reply. "You told 
me to see how many I could find, but you did n't say 
anything about my killing them." 

That boy was a typical faultfinder. I know of some 
churches who have his ilk upon their roll-books. They 



LigJiis on Scripture Truths. 85 

can find faults and foibles in abundance in those who 
have been entrusted to their charge, but as to going fur- 
ther and trying to eradicate the fault — such a thing 
seems never to have entered their minds. 



MOVE SOMETHING. 

It became noised about that a certain inventor had 
lost his mind. The first suspicion of the fact came 
while he w^as woirbing upon a wonderful machine/ It 
was costly and complicated. There were wheels and 
bands and bolts, and a steam attachment which set the 
machinery going at a marvelous rate'. When asked 
what the machine was for — ^what he expected to manu- 
facture on it — he replied coolly, ^^Oh, nothing." The 
wheels turned and power was generated to no pur- 
pose. Is n't that like some of our lives — like some of 
our church life? We want to be alive and keep the 
machinery moving, but let us be certain that it moves 
something. 



HOW GOD ALLOWS US TO SIK 

A little girl, left in the room with her grandfather, 
disobeyed her mother by taking down a vase of flowers 
and pouring the water upon her dress. When her 
grandfather saw her plight, he said, "What do you 
suppose your mamma will say?" "I think," said the 



86 Side Windows; or, 

child, severely, ^^that she will scold you for allowing 
me to be bad.'' 

The answler is a characteristic one, in that it is 
strikingly akin to what we sometimes hoar from the 
lips of older children. "Why has God allowed me to 
do wrong?'' the sinner questions imperiously, leav- 
ing out of the question his free will, and that he knew 
perfectly well what he was doing when he went con- 
trary to the command of God. Truly the babies are 
not all in a nursery. 



USELESS KNOWLEDGE. 

The prompt action of a young woman had saved 
the life of a man whose arm had been almost severed 
from his body. When the others were praising her 
for what she had done, she replied modestly that she 
deserved no especial praise, as her teacher at school 
had taught her what to do under such circumstancea 

^^Oh, I knew that, too," exclaimed another young 
lady, "and if any one had asked how to stop the flow 
of blood from a wound, I could have given the ansA\^r 
just as it is in the book; but I never thought of apply- 
ing it to this casa" 

The young woman is a typical character. In cases 
of spiritual peril, a good many of us, who could give 
the answer "just as it is in the Book," never think 



Lights on Scriyture Truths. 87 

of applying our knowledge for the benefit of those 
■\vho are in danger. Too many, who know the great 
Physician for themselves, never seem to think of send- 
ing their friends to him. 



WHE2s" THEY EXLISTED. 

When Jesus said, ^Tollow me/' he didn't mean, 
^•^Do something," but, rather, begin to do. What would 
you think of the man who went to the recruiting-offioe, 
and, after being enlisted as a soldier, went back home 
and got into his slippers and his easy-chair, saying: 
^^There ! I 've done my duty to my country — I can 
have some peace of mind !" 

^^Come, follow the Son of God!" the preacher etx- 
horted. A young man went forward and took ujDon 
him the vows of enlistment. Then he went back and 
took his seat. But that was n't following Christ. Fol- 
lowing him is n't an act. It is rather the beginning of 
action. 



GEIEVmG THE SPIRIT. 

Once a man who owned a beautiful house invited 
one of his friends to come and live vdth him. He 
provided for his guest a room, a bed to sleep on, and 
a place at his table. By and by, though, he met another 
man, who charmed hixn> so he invited this one also to 



88 Side Windows; 01% 

come and stay witli him. He went to the one that he 
had invited first and asked that he share his room with 
the stranger; a little while afterward he was asked to 
give up his bed for the same purposo; then to sur- 
render his place at the table. We are not surprised 
to know that, deeply grieved, he left the house alto- 
gether. 

Thus has many a man crowded the bleissed Guest 
from his heart. When the world begins to war with 
the Spirit for the possession of your heart, beware lest 
the holy One be grieved and take his departure. 



THE SAFETY OF FEAK. 

The fear of evil ought to have a large place in the 
Christian's heart. One day a party of young people 
went out from a hotel in the mountains for a day 
among the rocks. While the place to which they were 
going was noted for its picturesque scenery, it was 
known that scaling some of the heights was attended 
with great danger. 

^^I am not uneasy about my daughter,'^ said a 
mother, as she gazed after the party. ^^She Is so cool- 
headed and so sure-footed that I have no fear of her 
getting hurt.'' 

^*^And I feel equally secure about my daughter, 
but for another reason," said her friend. ^^She is 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 89 

so timid about climbing that she will not go to the 
dangerous pla-ces at all." 

The young person who fears the precipice to the 
extent that he will not venture near its edge is cer- 
tainly safer than he who boasts that he knows no such 
thing as fear. 



EVADIXiG TAXATIOIsL 



A wealthy woman died the other day, after having 
spent thirteen years in a truly remarkable mannei*. 
From the time of the launching of the big steamer 
Lucania till her death, she never missed a trip, crossing 
the ocean but to recross it again. In this way she spent 
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Was she 
sane ? Yes, and no — it depends upon the view we 
take. Yes, if it is sanity to take account of self alone 
and shrewdly plan an escape from all personal dis- 
comfort. Freedom from the worries of maintaining 
a house, of entertaining and being entertained; from 
tax-paying, and from social and church obligations — • 
all these things did this eccentric woman obtain. 

It is true, there is another side. There were pleas- 
ures very dear to the heart of most of us that must be 
foregone. But, leaving them out of the question, what 
right has one human being, even if he may, to make 
life a play-day? "When we stop to think of it, one of 



ji 



90 Side Windows; or, 

tlie le^st pleasing pictures in tlie world is that of a 
self -centered life. 

The woman might evade tax-paying here, but there 
Avill come a time when taxes must be paid; and how- 
ever purposeless a voyage life may be, we are going 
somewhere, and will be obliged to put into port one 
day whether we will or not. 



COLD COMFOKT. 



A young woman once contemptuously informed an 
old preacher that she was as good as lots of church- 
members. 

"I knofw it, my sister/' ho replied, shaking his 
head sadly, "and no one regrets mora than I do that 
we have so many unworthy people in the church/' 



A MEMOKY THAT SAVED. 

What a blessed thing to the prodigal was the mem- 
ory of hi^ father^s house. However wretched and 
barren the world was here, at home there was bread 
enough and to spare. The memory of a Christian 
home and of Christian parents has proven a beacon- 
light to many a doubting soul. In a company of gay 
young people, a young man was speaking sneeringly of 
religion. The old Ideas of God and of heaven and hell 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 91 

were worn out, he declared. They were old-fashioned, 
and the world had outgrown them. A young woman, 
who had known the skeptic's mother, took him aside 
and said: 

^^You were not telling the truth awhile ago. You 
believe that thea-e is a God, and that he used to hear 
vour mother's prayers. And you will not dare to deny 
that you think of her as being in heaven at this mo- 
ment." 

The young man was deeply affected. 

"You are right,'' he said. "I can not be a skeptic 
when I remember my mothers Christian life." 



JACOB. 

A young man, professedly pledged to the service of 
God, goes out into the world to make his way among 
men, who ai'e mad each wath. the desire to supplant 
the other. Gradually and unconsciously the interests 
of this world begin to wrap theaiiselves about him, until 
by and by his w'hole life is anchored fast to it. Sud- 
denly, and W'ithout warning, there sweeps down upon 
him the menace of an awful danger. A horrible fear 
takes possession of him. The storm bursts upon him. 
Where are those things that a little while ago seemed 
everything to him — the flocks and the herds, the gold 
and the silver? Ah! these could not stand the test. 



.92 Side Windows; oi\ 

He has beeai swept away from his f aste.nings. But in 
tliis moment as, conscioois of his peril, he wavers to 
and fro, he grasps at that which alone is an anchor 
in the midst of the torrents This honr of darkness that 
came upon Jacob was, after all, his salvation. So 
such experiences have been to many a soul. ITothing 
short of this could have loosed tlie moorings that held 
us to the world, and given us that sense of helplessness 
that alone impels us to reach out after our Father's 
hand. Just how much Jacob owed to the memory of 
that night back in Bethel we can not know. Not do 
w^e eveir know how much we owe sometimes to the 
memory of the prayers and promises of our early days. 
But all men do not come out of the test like this ; and 
the flood that dtrives some men to the rock sweeps 
others away to hopeless ruin. 



KEEP THE WAY OPEN. 

The head of a manufacturing concern was in the 
habit of going to a room on the roof of the building 
and locking himself in, that he might be free from 
interruptions. One day he discovered that the build- 
ing was on fire. He flew to the door to find that the 
lock had become set, and he was unable to open it. 
He remembered the speaking-tube which communi- 
cated Avith the room below. But, alas! his calls were 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 93 

in vain. It was many months since he had availed 
himself of it, and it had become so obstructed with 
soot and dust that it was useless. How fit an illus- 
tration is this of the prayerless life. It is by daily 
fellowship that we keep the way open between our- 
selves and God. 



A QUESTION OF IXVESTMENT. 

(Matt. xvi. 25.) 

Twenty years ago, a farmer died, leaving to his 
two sons nothing but a granary full of wheat. The 
grain was equally divided between the two. The elder 
remarked to the younger that he intended to use a 
part of his wheat for seed and sell the rest, as he 
knew oi a profitable inves^tment he could make with 
the money. The younger brother shook his head and 
said that he meant to hold his wheat for a higher 
price. He did so, but, instead of advancing, every year 
the price went lower and lower. He needed the money 
the wheat w^ould have brought, but still he kept it 
hoarded away. At the end of twenty years he found 
himself not only in abject poverty, but so deeply 
in debt to the man who had stored the grain 
that he was forced to turn it over to his creditor. 
He had saved, but in saving he had been the loser. 
He lost not only his original capital, but the profit 



94 Side Windows; or, 

that might have been his had he followed his brother's 
example. The lesson is not an obscure one. We make 
much or little of our lives in proportion to our invest- 
ments. It is. the man that spends who lea^rns the 
meaning of heavenly riches. 



GO LOOK IN THE GLASS. 

Just inside the hall, wheire those who came and 
went could not help taking a look at themselves, swung 
ft great, glistening mirror. In view of the fact that 
strict economy was the rule of the household, I had 
wondered not a little that so handsonie a piece of fur- 
niture should have been placed where it was apparently 
of so little use. 

I think the littL* woman of the house must have 
divined my thoughts, for, as I sat watcliing the boys, 
who were just starting out for school, one after another 
pausing to survey themselves in the mirror, she simply 
said : 

"That looking-glass has paid for itself a dozen times 
over.'^ Seeing my look of surprise, she went on. "I 
need hardly tell you that a mother of seven boys finds 
the problem of having them always clean and neatly 
dressed no easy one. Well, I used to have a good deal 
of trouble with them, and unless I gave each one a 
personal inspection, some of them were likely to go 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 95 

to school witJi streaked faces and soiled collars. Of 
course, they were always mortified, when they became 
aware of it. I saw that the trouble was that they had 
forgotten to look in the glass. I put on my thinEing- 
cap and that was the result/' nodding her head toward 
the mirror. ^^I have no need now of telling Ted and 
Joe to wash their faces, or Charlie that he needs a 
clean collar. That glass tells them in a way that tbey 
simply can't resist. For, after all," she added sagely, 
^'I think one of the principal steps toward reforming 
people is to get them to look at themselves." 



^^^O INTEEEUPTIO^ TO BUSHsTESS." 

Going down the street, I noticed that the sidewalk 
in front of a large building was obstructed with build- 
ing materials. A great scaffolding had been built 
across the front, and from it was suspended a sign 
bearing the words, ^^No Interruption to Business." 
The public, however, seemed not to agree with the 
proprietor of the store, since not only were there no 
signs of customers about the store, but passersby even 
shunned that part of the street. The decision of the 
storekeeper that his business should not be interrupted 
did n't settle the matter, after all. 

A yoimg man who had been zealous for Christ and 
the church tools: on business responsibilities which ab- 



96 Side Windows; or, 

sorbed the time he had been giving to spiritual activi- 
ties. ^^I am not going to let it interfere with my 
Christian life/' he told the pastor, and yet it did. He 
had piled so many obstructions between himself and 
the spiritual influences that had once had access to 
his heart that they ceased to touch him. 

A preacher allowed himself to be dazzled by a bit 
of political honor. ^^I don't intend that it shall hin- 
der my work as a soul-saver/' he said, but that was 
only one side of the case. Men ceased to come to him 
with their burdens. They saw obstructions between 
them and the man they had once felt free to confide 
in, so they passed by on the other side. The Chris- 
tian's first concern ought to be that nothing shall in- 
terrupt him in his legitimate business — that of carry- 
ing out the commission of the Master. 



LOT WENT WITH HIM. 

When Abraham went out to Canaan, we are told 
that ^Tot went with him." There came a time, no 
doubt, when Abraham devoutly wished that Lot had 
stayed in Mesopotamia. Even now, when a man 
resolves to change his plane of living, somebody is 
pretty sure to conclude to go with him. A father, who 
became a Christian after the age of fifty, was alarmed 
to find that, during his years of reckless living, his 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 97 

young son had been following him. The son had gone 
still further away, and all of the father^s efforts to 
bring him back v^exe of no avail. 

On the other hand, there is comfort in the thought 
that, if we are climbing upwiard, we will be sure to 
inspire other souls to do the same thing. And I be- 
lieve that, when we reach the better country, we will 
find those who date their start in the upward way to 
the moment w^hen we folded our tents and set our faces 
toward Canaan. 



WEIGHTED PRAYEES. 



When it became known among the friends of a 
cert.ain gentleman that he was going to go abroad, they 
came in great numbers to see him, each one with a 
commission for him to execute^ A lady wanted him 
to buy her a real Paris bonnet; a scientific friend 
wanted a microscope, and so on with all who oame to 
see him. When they had gone away, he looked over 
the list and found, to his dismay, that if he made all 
these purchases he would have no money with which 
to meet the expense of the trip. Of all the number, 
only one had bro-ught the money with which to pur- 
chase what he wanted. 

When the man returned, his friends gathered round 
him eager to see what he had brou^t back. To their 



98 Side Windows; or, 

surprise, they found that he had made but one of the 
purchases he had been asked to make. 

"One day, as I sat upon the deck, looking over 
your lists, a breeze came and blew them all away 
except this one,'' ha explained. 

"But how could that be?'' some one questioned, 

"Ah!" was the reply, ^^his ordejr was weighted 
down. It had the silver wrapped up in it." 

Do you see the point? Real, prevailing prayer 
must have your very best offering of self and substance 
wrapped up in it. When you pray for the relief of 
the poor, is your prayer anything more than words? 
When you somewhat peremptorily instruct the Lord 
to convert the heathen, is there any silver wrapped 
up in your prayer? 



HOW TO TELL THE DIFFEEENCE. 

Some one tells the story of a man who made a 
bee which, by some automatic arrangement, went 
buzzing around so naturally that he challeoiged his 
friends to distinguish between them when the real 
and the counterfeit were placed t.ogether. By and 
by some one brought a bunch of clover and placed it 
near them. Immediately one of the bees went for the 
clover, and began to extract honey from it; the other 
simply kept on buzzing. This is a pretty good illusr 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 99 

tration of the difFeremce betAveen the real and the arti- 
ficial Christian. They may make so nearly the same 
professions that you can distingnish no difference. 
The presence of some duty is usually the test. The 
real Christian is drawn to it, while the false one sim- 
ply keeps on buzzing. 



ONE KIND OF QUESTIONER 

There is the story of the keeper of a little railroad 
station in northern Michigan, who had been instructed 
to flag the train when there was a passenger to go 
aboard. Accordingly, on the first morning he hoisted 
the signal, and the train came to a standstill. 

"Where are your passengers?" the conductor queE- 
tioned, as he stepped down upon the platform. 

"Well," rejoined the old man coolly, "there was n^t 
anybody tliat wanted to get on, but I 'lowed maybe 
somebody might want to get off." 

There is no more admirable or useful trait than 
that of healthful curiosity. And we all owe more or 
less to the individual who "wants to know" and is n't 
ashamed to say so. He is a good person to keep close 
to. But there is a good deal of questioning that has 
its source in an altogether different motive. Who 
hasn't seen workers hindered and their valuable time 
consumed by some one who was intent on propounding 



LafC, 



100 Side Windows; or^ 

a "poser" ratli©r tlian on re>ally getting information ? 
When we see men stopping missionary and En- 
deavor workers, the blessedness of whose labors can 
not be doubted, with all sorts of irrelevant questions, 
we are led to suspect that, instead of seeking infor- 
mation that theiy may get on and help, they desire 
rather to induce some one to get off. 



ONLY A BLOCK. 



Many years ago, a city, situated in an arid region, 
was supplied with water from a beautiful lake far up 
in the mountain. One day, in the midst of the hot, 
dry season, the water supply gave out, and the word 
went from month to mouth : "The lake is dry !" 
Twenty-four hours passed, the people were famishing 
for water, when one man declared his intention of 
climbing up to the lake, hoping to find a little water. 
Imagine his joy when he found the beautiful lake not 
dry, but overflowing. 

All of the water which supplied the city must pass 
through a great leaden pipe. Into this a block of 
wood had floated, and had become so closely wedged 
siiS to stop the flow of the water. 

This is a fair illustration of what a very insignifi- 
cant block of humanity may do in the way of hinder- 
ing the progress of God's work in the world. It is a 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 101 

wholesome thought for us to carry home, that there 
are some souls in the world that will never receive 
the blessings of the gospel if we do not see to it our- 
selves. 



EEJECTING DELIVEEA^sTCE. 

There is the s-tory of a man of great wealth and 
goodness, who had heard that a little girl had been 
taken captive by a band of robbers, and was being 
cruelly treated. He resolved to rescue her. 

The journey was long and perilous, and when at 
last he made his way into the robbers' camp, he was 
bruised and bleeding, and could scarcely drag himself 
along for wearines-s-. But at the sight of the prisoner 
he forgot his sufferings. 

^^I have come to save you,'' he said, stretching out 
his bleeding hands. ^^I will give you my name, and 
you shall live with me in my own beautiful home." 

The young girl saw the wounded hands and feet — • 
she knew that he had borne it all for her; but she 
shook her head and said, ^^I will not come now,'^ and, 
turning away from his pleadings, she went back to her 
old life of bondaga She had not spoken a disrespect- 
ful word. She had even wept a little, when he plead 
with her, yet the fact remained that she had despised 
his offer and the love that prompted it. Her sense of 



102 



Side Wmdoics; or. 



value was peirvetrted, because she saw more in her 
wretched life than in the one that had been offe'red 
her. 

Let every one who rejects Christ read here the 
story of his own ingratitude. 



A TAEOTSHED NAME, 



A lady concluded to buy a grapevine of a man 
who was selling nursery stock. She selected the one 
she thought she wanted, but when she heard the name 
of it she refused to take it. An aunt of hers out in 
Iowa had a vine of that kind, and it never bore fruits 
The nurseryman tried to convince her that the trouble 
was not with the kind of vine, but with the special 
one to which she referred. It is the same way with 
unworthy Christians. They cause some people to 
think badly of Christians in general. 



WALK WITH ME. 

If the commonest of us do not find opportunity for 
saving souls, it is because we do not follow in the foot- 
steps of Him whose pathway always lay hard by^the 
door of the needy and sinful. 

A company of students were in the habit of going 
with a favorite teacher to the forest in search of bo- 



IJghts on Scripture Trufhs. 103 

tanical specimens. There Tvere those who invariably 
brought back valuable trophies; a few, however, re- 
ported having found nothing worth while. One of the 
latter complained to the teacher of the barrenness of 
his search. ^^Walk beside me to-morrow," the teacher 
answered, ^^and I assure von that vou will not return 
emptv-handed.'^ 

Fellow Christian^?, if your life has been barren of 
results, take thisi to yourself. Go taucli widi your 
feet His footprints. I need not remind you where 
they will lead you. If you follow^ Him, he will inaJce' 
you a fisher of men. It is a costly thing to follow the 
Son of man, who despised all things that he might win 
souls for the kingdom of heaven. 



BE FEAIO:. 



While the soul-winner has need of \ tact (a name 
which we give to the wisdom that cometh only from 
above), anything short of frankness is sure to disgust 
those upon whom it is tried. Frankness, let us keep 
in mind, however, does not mean the brutal rudeness 
that sometimes masquerades under that nama The 
Christian has always a loving mind toward those he 
wishes to reach, and is, therefore, kindest in his speech 
when he is most candid. If you are interested in peo- 
ple, and want them to become Christians, tell them sa 



104 Side Windoivs; of. 

Do it delicately and considarajtely, but do n't sham 
about it. A lady visiting in a minister's family was 
told of some bright, genial people in the neighborhood, 
who were, however, irreligious, and never even went 
to church. 

^T will go and see them," she said. 

^^What will you have fo'r an, excuse?" said the 

hosteiss. ^^Oh, yes; take this pattern. Mrs. B 

asked me for it the other day." 

"But I do n't want an excuse," was the reply. "I 
want them to know that some one is interested in them." 

As a result of that visit, not only the father and 
mother, but the son, were led to regularly attend church 
and eventually to become Christians. "It touched me 
as nothing ever did before," as the mother said after- 
ward, "to know that some one was anxious about me 
and was praying that I might be^come a Christian." 



THEKE 'S A MAIsT 1^ THEKE ! 

In a certain city, a great building was on fire. 
Along the street were great cro^vds of men and boys 
watching the fire. They were retarding the efforts of 
the firemen, but even the policemen were powerless in 
their endeavors to keep them back. Suddenly there 
was a cry: "There's a man in there!" Like a flash 
tihe words went from lip to lip, and in an instant the 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 105 

indifferent Iwkers-on were eager to do somethings even 
to the risking of their own lives, to save the life that 
was in jeopardy. Men and women will be ready eaiough 
to ^^throw out the life-line" when we can get them to 
realize that some one is actually drowning. Impress 
the church with the peril of those who ai^ out of Christ, 
and we will have conquered, in a great measure, its 
apathy upon the subject of the evangelization of the 
world. 



AK Ui^FAILIXG TEST. 

There is a great deal said about drawing the line 
between sinful and harmless pleasures, that might be 
settled by answering the question, ^^What hold doe^ it 
usually have upon people?" Kny pleasure that has 
made men lose their judgment, as Herod in the case 
of the dancing girl, may be set down as sensual and 
worldlv. 

In a certain circle one winter the craze for dancing 
broke out The greater number of those who engaged 
in it were Christians. The pastor expostulated with 
them. A few renounced it, but the greater number 
said: ^^If we must choose between the church and the 
dance, we v/ill give up the church." A lady, who had 
thus far looked upon it as a harmless amusement, said : 
^'There must be something in it I have failed to dis- 



.106 Side Windows; or, 

cover. It is enough for me, though, to knpw that there 
is no safety in that which has so fascinated young 
men and women that they have eixpressed a. willing- 
ness to give up for it that on which their hope of 
heaven depends/' 



GETTING ADVICE AND TAKING IT. 

"It seems strange that nothing could have heem 
done for her/' some one was saying of a woman who 
had just died. "I have been told that she consulted 
some of the most eminent physicians in the country." 
"Oh, yes.; she oonsjulted them/' was the rerply. 
"The trouble was that it ended there. She never took 
the advice they gave her." 

The . same is true of a good many of us. It is n't 
that there has been a lack of advice, but rather a r€h 
fusal to take it. 



WHAT IS YOUE BUSINESS? 

"What is your business?" or, as the Yankee would 
put it, "What are you driving at ?" is the question that 
shapes everything about our lives. It forms our habits, 
chooees our friends, and determines the road we will 
take. If you meet a man with his fishing-rod on his 
shoulder, you don't need to ask him what be h goek-^ 



Lights on Scripture Triitlis. 107 

ing. You don't wonder if he isn't going out to pick 
grapes. I believe tha-t each one of us carries about us 
that which proclaims the object that we have in view. 
A man who goes into the mines dressed like a miners 
and with a pick on his shoulder, may say that he is 
merely going to look at the scenery, but nobody will 
believe him. So, if we are dressed in the garments 
of the world and persist in hanging about its quarters, 
the fact that we call ourselves Christians is n't going 
to carry much weight with it. 



THEY KJTOW 'EOT WHAT THEY DO. 

When Jesus hung upon the cross, he said : "They 
know not what they do.'' Neither do they know what 
they do who turn away from him now. Some chil- 
dren were playing in the yard when the mother called 
them. 

"I 'm not going in," one of them said, "it is so 
lovely here, and I haven't been outdoors half long 
enough." It was not until it was too late that the 
child found out what it had missed. His mother had 
called him that he might go with her to a beautiful 
place up the river, which he had been longing to see. 
So, when God calls us to his service, there are so many 
who say, "Oh, I don't want to give up this or that 
pleasure ;" or, "I can't afford to follow him. It will 



.108 Side Windows; or, 

cost too much/' Oh, if we could only get them to see 
the other side! Accepting him does mean giving up 
some things ; but I tell you these things will look very 
poor and mean to you when once you have tasted what 
God has for those that love him. 



WHY HE IS WT HUET. 

In a menagerie the public was wont to be delighted 
over an exhibition in which the lion and the lamb 
actually lay down together. Subsequent developments, 
however, revealed the fact that the lamb was a stuffed 
one. This is an illustration of what you vdll gener- 
ally find on investigating cases where the saint leagues 
himself with the children of darkness, and yet boasts 
that he is not harmed by it. The sheep in the lion's 
cage looked genuine enough, and so it was, so far as 
the outside was concerned, but the lion recognized its 
natural prey by som€fthing else besides skin. 



WITHOUT PAIN, 



Occasionally I see something like this appended to 
a dentist's advertisement: ^^Teeth extracted without 
pain." It always brings to my mind the story of a 
man .who went to one of these dentists to have a toot.h 
removed. The operation was exceedingly painful, and 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 109 

tlie man was indignant ^^I thought you said that you 
extracted teeth without pain," he roared. 

^^So I did/' returned the dentist, ^^and I assure you 
that I extracted this one without the least pain. I 
did n't even feel it'' 

"There is really nothing painful about confessing 
a sin," said an individual noted for his censorious 
spirit 

"J^To, not if it happens to be the sin of your neigh- 
bor," was the quick reply. 

It is St good deal the same in many other line©. 
We are readv to correct our friends' faults and reform 
their lives by a painless process — so far as we our- 
selves are concerned. What it costs them is another 
matter. 



EEPEATING THE PEOMISES. 

Jesus had regard to the human need of his disciples 
when he reminded them of his promises. Just how 
much they owed to these frequent reminders we can 
not know. ITor do we know how much we owe to the 
open Word, where we may go day by day and be 
assured that "He has promised." 

Cold reason might say that we have no need to 
read again and again what he has said. But it is the 
experience of every heart that, anon, as the way nar- 



110 Side Windoius; or, 

rows, and thick clouds shut ooit the light, we need to 
hoar his voice saying, ^^Lo, I am with you alway/' 
The mother bending over her child repeating, ^^Mother 
loves you ; mother will take care of you !'' tells it noth- 
ing new, and yet how those words calm and cheer the 
troubled little heart So, "as one whom his mother 
comforteth," he means that we shall be reminded of 
his love over and over again. 



LIFE'S LITTLE PIECES. 

In most things we are reasonable enough to with- 
hold judgment until we have examined them in their 
entirety. Eor instance, no man attempts to judge as 
to the vastness and grandeur of the ocean because he 
has seen a cup of its water ; to the beauty and strength 
of a building from a bit of the brick of which it is 
built, or of the purpose of the author from a word 
cut here and there from one of his books. When we 
look at our own lives, however, logic seems to weaken, 
and we draw the most unreasonable conclusions. We 
plunge into some dark cavern and straightway raise 
the lament, "Oh that all my labor and pains should 
have come to this! Oh that God should have turned 
a deaf ear to my pleadings !" If we would wait long 
enough, we would see that we have been gently forced 
into the only avenue through which the light we asked 



Lights on Scripture Truths. Ill 

for can be reached. Israel stubbornly refusing to look 
beyond for the land to which the Lord their God would 
lead them, is not without a counterpart in our modern 
life. 



THE COST or A GOOD KEPUTATIOK 

A young man, who had been active in Christian 
work, went to a distant city to take a position. Some 
time afterward a friend, calling on him, mentioned 
his former work in the presence of some of his new 
acquaintances. The young man looked annoyed, and 
when he and his friend were alone, he said : "I did n't 
intend that tliese people should know about my church 
work." 

^^I am sure your record was n't one to be ashamed 
of," his friend rejoined. 

^^Oh, no," was tbe answer, ^*but I didn't want 
them to expect so much of me." The fact was that he 
had made up his mind to lower the standard of his 
Christian living, and did not want those with whom 
he associated to expect anything better of him. 

There is a warning in the incident. While it cost^ 
something to win a good reputation, it also costs some- 
thing to hold fast to it. If there ever comes a time 
when you feel that you would a little rather those 
around you did ii't know you professed to be a Chris- 



113 Side Windoiosj or, 

tian, you need to question yourself closely as to the 
reason. Peter, who denied his Lord, first sought to 
have it appear that he belonged, not to the disciples, 
but to the crowd. 



MAKE THEM HUNGKY. 

A young girl had recovered from a long illness, 
and had no appetite. The doctor told her friends to 
take her wheTO she could watch them eating, and to 
talk to each other, in her presence, about good things 
to eat. By and by she said, ^^I believe I 'd like to 
taste that.'^ I want to tell you that I believe we might 
make a good many people hungry for the living bread 
by applying the same principle. A young Christian 
said, "I remember the first thing that led me to think- 
ing about becoming a Christian, was hearing the girla 
talk about how they enjoyed the sunrise prayer-meet- 



UNWAEEAlstTED EAITH. 

A man that had proven a failure at everything 
that he undertook, finally decided that it was his 
mission to preach. After he had begun his work he 
came home one night and offered up, in the presence 
of his wife, a prayer, in which he outlined rather 
minutely what he thought the Lord ought to do» ^^I 



Lights on Scnpture Truths. 113 

know the Lord will answer that prayer/' he said con- 
fidently to his wife. When the good woman seemed 
to dissent, he was very indignant, and questioned ex- 
citedly, ^^Haven't you faith in God?'' 'Tes/' was 
the calm rejoinder, ^^I Ve got too much faith in him 
to suppose that he's going to trust you to run his 
business for him." This is a distinction we do not 
always make. The faith that doesn't trust God ex- 
cept when he lets us have our own way is a poor sort. 



YOURSELF AXD OTHERS. 

The newspaper wag represents Mrs. Housekeeper 
bubbling over with indignation because of some butter 
one of her neighbors has just brought in, in return 
for some she had borrowed. 

'^Jane," she says angrily, addressing the servant, 
^^I telieve this is tie very same butter I loaned that 
woman this morning." Jane sniffs at tlie butter and 
agTees that it smells like it. 

"Well," continues the injured woman, "I don't 
see how she could have the assurance to send such 
stuff here." 

The dlifference was, of course, not between the 
butter sent and that received, but in the sender and 
the recipient. A good many things beside butter would 
seem mere unpalatable to us, when sent to us from our 



114 Side Windows; or, 

neighbors, than when we ourselves are the senders. 
It may be a needed thing that you give your friend 
^^a piece of your mind/' but before you do it put your- 
self in his place for a moment and ask how you 
would receive it, if this same friend were to atteonpt 
to correct you for some of your own faults. It might 
not keep back the rebuke, but you would at least be 
likely to temper it with mercy. 



AN EASY YOKE. 



A young preacher, visiting for the first time in the 
country, was reading aloud the words of Christ about 
bearing his yoke. 

"How do you understand that reference to^ the 
yoke?'^ his host questioned. 

The young man began to say something about it 
standing for the hardships we endured for Christ's 
sake, when the farmer stopped him. 

"Look here,'' he said, "do you know why I put 
a yoke on my oxen this morning when I took them 
out to draw a load of stone?'' 

"Why, I suppose it was to keep them from getting 
away," the young man replied. 

"Just as I supposed. You thought, while it was 
necessary, it was adding a burden to the neck that 
carried it ? On the contrary, it simply unites the two 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 115 

for service, and the strength of the one becomes the 
strength of the other/' 

Christ's yoke, my brother, unites you to him for 
service. Instead of being itself a load, it becomes pos-- 
sible for you to bear the load that you have. 

The popular conception of tlie yoke of Christ is 
not the true one. Even those who come into the 
church often seem to think that the one purpose of 
it all is to keep them from breaking into something 
that they ought to keep out of. 

When Jesus declared his yoke to be an easy one, 
he did not say that men found it easy to assume it. 
On the contrary, his words have rather the sound of 
reassurance to those who approach his service with 
trembling and doubt. The ox doubtless finds the yoke 
hard to adjust, and, before it is put to use, irksome. 
So those of us who have followed the behest of selfisli 
inclination must come to the new life in the spirit of 
self-denial. 



A COSTLY MISTAKE, 



Xot long ago one of our large daily papers was 
forced to pay an extensive damage bill for printing 
an advertisement that a certain firm would sell hoaise 
dresses at 9c., when it should have been 99c. A large 
number of persons were misled by the statement, and 



116 Side Windows; or, 

the results on both sides were disastrous. We say it 
served the publishers right, and will certainly lead 
them to be more careful. Perhaps so; but may not 
others besides publishers find here a warning ? If it is 
a serious thing to mislead people as to the price of 
things that perish with the using^ what shall wei say 
of It when we fail to present the terms of salvatioai 
according to the divine copy? 

Present the bright side of the religion of Christ 
to the world, because It has a side whose brightness 
is beyond anything the world can offer, but do n't 
cheapen it by making people believe that it doesn't 
cost anything to be a Christian. If the plan of salva- 
tion were yours or mine, the omission of a few details 
would probably make little difference, but since it is 
of God there is but one way left to us. 



SAVED TO SEEVE. 



I once knew an old man who was possessed with a 
mania for buying up wheels of all sorts. A wheel, 
whether from a, wagon, a cart or a wheel-barrow, poe^ 
sessed peculiar attractions for him; and yet In all his 
life he never owned even a wheel-barrow. He did not 
put his wheels to any use. He is a pretty good coun- 
t^erpart of the man the ultimatum of whose idea of 
successful church work is that of getting people to 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 117 

join cliurch. A good many churches where this idea 
has been, followed up axe, therefore, practically noth- 
ing iriore than a heap of wheels and bolts and bars 
that are of no use because they have been put to none. 
"Saved to serve^' is a good motto, but it implies 
more- than we aire sometimes disposed to take into 
consideration. It means that we must train people 
as well as save them. It is not enough that we induce 
men and womeai^ to be good; we are to see to it that 
they are put in the way of becoming good for -some- 
thing. 



BELIEVE m THEM. 

More lost men and women have been rescued by 
the thought that somebody belie\'ed in them, than by 
any other human agency. There is nothing thai will 
go so far toward making your class the most giddy 
or the most unruly class in, the school, as to once let 
them know that they bear such a reputation. 

I recall just now a striking instance of this sort. 
In a certain village the grade of conduct in the public 
school had fallen so low that the teachers universally 
agreed that it was beyond them. One after another 
came with stern visage and artfully laid plans, deter- 
mined to conquer the belligerents. But all in vain. At 
length there came a teacher, a lover of young people, 
and a man of such guileless mind that he seemed to 



lis Side Windows; or, 

have no other thought than that his gentleness would 
be refturned in kind. To their own astonishment, the 
scholars found that there Avas something about him 
that put them on their good behavior when they were 
in his presenca Still, there were threats as to the 
daring pieces of mischief they would execute in his 
absence. 

One day, after he had been with them not quite 
a week, he had occasion to go into one of the other 
departments. 

^^You may go on with your studies just as though 
1 were here,'' he said naturally. They looked at each 
other in astonishment, ^o other teacher had ever 
thought of trusting them out of his sight. They were 
suspicious. It must be some kind of a trap he was 
setting for them. But they were mistaken. When 
they found that they had been really left alone, they 
were silent for a moment from sheer astonishment. 
Then the boy made bold to shy his geography across 
the room at the head of one of his schoolmates. But 
the fun, like the book, fell flat, and looks of disap- 
proval were cast upon him. They seemed to say, ^^We 
are not afraid of whippings and scoldings, but a man 
that believes in us when nobody has told him anything 
good about us, is too much." 

That man remained for almost ton years with the 
school, and saw it rise to be an acknowledged model. 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 119 

He saw those boys and girls develop into a manhood 
and womanhood that was in every way different from 
anything of which they gave promise before they came 
in contact with him. 



GIVE HIM THE BEST. 



A young man, who had been employed to act as 
night watchman for a large business concern, made a 
practice of spending his days going on pleasure jaunts 
and coming to his post at night breathless and ex- 
hausted. The result was that he soon lost his place, 
because of the indifferent manner in which he per- 
formed his work. 'No man can come into the kingdom 
and serve God. well if he has spent the early pai*t of 
his life aiid strength in serving self. 



A SEEIOUS RESULT. 



There came to one of our large cities, a year ago, 
a young man unused to the ways of the world. He 
was an easy prey to the tempter, and it looked for 
awhile as though he had utterly gone to the bad. K 
young man found him and heartily and cordially in- 
vited him to church. He went, and was so impressed 
with what seemed to him to be the unaffected piety of 
the young people^ that he began to believe tiiat there 



120 Side Windows; or, 

must be something real in the religion of Christ. Af- 
ter the lapse of several weeks, he felt that a crisis had 
come, and so he resolved to seek out the young man 
who had befriended him, and ask his advice. 

Going to the house, he was shown into a brillianir 
ly lighted parlor, where a half dozen yo'ung men were 
engaged in a game of cards. Among the players was 
the one who had been to him these weeks the embodi- 
ment of all that was consecrated and unworldly. lie 
did not stop to reason that it was merely "a little 
social game;" the cards had an association that noth- 
ing could reconcile with the solemn vows and prayers 
to which he had listened. The young man himself was 
embarrassed. He had told himself over and oveir 
again that there was no hann in what bo was doing, 
and yet — the idea of meeting thu-s the young man he 
had urged to forsake the world and come to Christ, 
was distui^bing. He felt that his hold upon the 
stranger was gone forever, and so it was. The young 
fellow went from the hotise railing at himself for Hav- 
ing been made a fool of, and at Christian profession as 
empty and hypocritical. The end of the story is the 
saddest part of all. The young man wEo had been 
so near the kingdom, went out of life in the midst of 
a disgraceful drunken brawl. 

Of course, I know that what seemed the inconsist- 
ency of one who had professed consecration to Christ, 



Lights on Scriptu7^e Truths. 121 

was no excuse; but, if for nothing more than foT the 
sake of keeping the weak one from falling, would n't 
it have been ^vorth while for him to have given up that 
which it is so well understood belongs to the world ? 

If you want to make certain that you are ready for 
the revival, and that worldly people will not laugh in 
their sleeves and say, ^^Oh, what a Christian ! He has 
to go to the same places w© do for his pleasures,'^ 
suppose you try reading those wo-rds of Paul's, some- 
thing like thiSj ^^If progressive euchre and the dance 
make my brother to offend, I will engage in them no 
more while the world standeth." 



HOME EVANGELISM. 



It may be a hard thing to do, but that person makes 
a mistake who passes by the humblest member of his 
own household, and goes outside to invite people to 
accept Christ. A very worldly woman once said: 

"I don't know many Christians, but somehow I 
canH help regarding them as hypocrites." 

^^But your sister-in-law, she lives in the same house 
with you; surely you must acknowledge that she is 
a devoted Christian." 

"That 's just it," was the laughing reply. "She 
has a very lovely disposition, and she just devotes her 
life to missions and Sunday-schools, but she has never 



122 Side Wlndoius; or, 

said a word to me about becoming a Ohristian. It 's 
only make-believe with her about souls being in danger. 
You need n't tell me! I know that she 's fond of me, 
and if she believed all that, do you think &he wouldn't 
have said something?" 



INTO ALL THE WOELD. 

^^Go, bring in all the fruit from my orchard/' the 
father commands. 

^^Not all of it/' the son objects. ^^Some of it is 
so poor." 

"Go, gather it all." 

"But some of It is so far up in the trees. It will 
not pay for the labor." 

"What is that to you ? Do as I bid you." 



YOUE ANCHOE. 



The city was brave with flags and bunting; every- 
body seemed to be more or less bent on celebrating In- 
dependence Day. The trains wore carrying loads of 
people out of the city, while down at the wharf the 
scene was a gay one. Boat after boat took on its load 
of human freight and bounded away across the water 
till only one was left — a trim little yacht, whose fresh- 
ly painted sides and clean canvas told that it had not 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 123 

yet tested its powers against wind and wave. The 
wind came and whispered ta it as though inviting it to 
go. How happy and free the others looked, riding on 
this wave, and then on that ; what happy shores might 
lie over yonder where the water seemed to touch the 
sky! The little craft began to tug gently as though 
longing to go. But, alas ! it was powerless ; it was fas- 
tened to a great, heavy weight, that held it fast, so 
that all day long it rocked to and fro, as though chafing 
against the unseen hindrance that kept it so close to 
the sheltering shore. 

There was a storm that afternoon, and the clouds 
that a few hours ago had looked like angels of peace, 
blackened and spread till the heavens were a sheet of 
menacing blackness. The pleasure-seekcTS were, many 
of them, taken unawares, and the end of the pitiful 
story was told the next day by the broken fragments 
that strewed the shore. But the yacht ? Ah ! the storm 
had not touched it, and there it lay serene and smiling 
like a thing of life. It knew now that the heavy thing, 
whose weight' it had fejt so painfully, wais onl^ a 
friendly anchor, which had held it fast when the wind 
would have swept it away. 

Do you find your sermon there, my brother? 
There were tbose plans you laid; you- were ceirrtain 
that success lay in their fulfillment; but just when 
you were ready to venture out, something hindered 



124 Side Windows; or, 

you, and you wondered th^t God could allow! it to be 
so. Of course, you learned long ago that It was all a 
mistake, and you are glad for the hindrance, only it 
was not a hindrance. It was an anchor; call it that, 
and thank God for it, and never again think of it as 
a matter of chance. 



THE BEST PEEACHING. 

Some years ago, an old woman went to make her 
home in a wretched cabin in one of the mining dis- 
tricts of Pennsylvania. The peoj3le were wicked and 
vicious, and the only church in the neighborhood was. 
five miles away. Yet every Sunday morning the old 
woman might have been seen hobbling feebly along the 
road that led to the meeting-house. Here and there 
throughout the entire distance were scattered the cabins 
of the miners ; and as she passed, many of them would 
stop their carousings long enough to fling some blas- 
phemous taunt at her. But beyond an occasional word 
of kindness, or a gentle entreaty to them to go with 
her, the old saint took their railings in silence. 

One day the word went from mouth to mouth that 
Mother Eulton was dead, and a man was dispatched 
to the town for a preacher. During the funeral seir- 
vioes tihe rough men and ^vomen stood quiet and re- 
spectful; and many hardened cheeks were wet with 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 125 

tears. As the preacher finished, one of the men 
stepped up to him. 

"We want you to come back again, parson/' he 
said. "We never had any use for such things, but 
if you can tell what made her like that/' inclining his 
head toward the pine coffin, "we '11 listen to you." 

Thus a long-sought-for door was opened, and a 
harvest of souk wa^ the result. While the preacTier 
had been preaching Christ from the pulpit, this woman 
had every Sunday been preaching a sermon five miles 
long; and all along that road she traveled, a harvest 
was gathered. 

We have certainly no need to envy those who, witli 
the "tongues of men and of angels," reach the multi- 
tudes. You may, if you will, preach e\^ery day a ser- 
mon' the length of the sti^eet up and down which you 
pass, or deliver sermons twelve houi*6 long to those 
at your fireside. The world mav do .as it will with 
what we say; it can not resist what we do. 



WITH OOMMOX SE]S^SE. 

The value of most good things is relative, and 
means and methods are always to be considered in 
connection with the people upon whom they are to 
be used. There is a story of a young woman who, on 
her summer outing, spent two mights on an ocean 



126 Side Windows; or, 

steamer. '^1 am almost dead for sleep/^ she confided 
to a friend, when she had reached her destination. 
^^I read the directions for putting on the life-preserver, 
and tried to follow them, but I suppose I did n't get it 
right. Anyway, I couldn't sleep a mite with it on.'' 
IsTow, the probabilities are that the life-preserver was 
all right, and that the young woman had literally 
followed directions. The trouble was that she was 
using it at the wrong time. Let us get a lesson from 
this; the fact that severe measures are necessary and 
successful on certain occasions does not justify us in 
resorting to them at all times. Don't neglect to use 
the homely commodity of common sense. 



BE SINOEEE. 



A gentleman one day came across a beggar, who, 
while wearing a card lettered, "I 'm blind," gave 
pretty good evidence that such was not the case. 

^^You are no more blind than I am," the gentleman 
»aid. 

"ITo ; but the man I bought out was," was the reply. 
"He said it paid him, but I 've found it a mighty poor 
route." 

There are a good many people that have no thought 
that they ajrel guilty of hlypocirisy, who wiear -labels 
and adopt cant phrases just because somebody else has 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 127 

made a success that way, all tlie while Avondering why 
they are such dismal failures. Don't say, ^^I am 
an imworthy and unprofitable servant/' if you do n't 
feel that way, or that you are conscious of your lack 
of ability, if you are not. These professions are all 
well enough when worn by those who make them sin- 
cerely, otherwise they are not. 



TEUST A2^D OBEDIE^^CE. 

"Are you not uneasy as to the outcome of this ill- 
ness ?" some one asked of a sick man. 

"^N'o," was the reply. "Dr. B is attending 

me, and he says he can pull me through. I trust him 
fully." ^And yet the man died. What was the trou- 
ble? Misplaced confidence? i^o; the doctor was all 
he professed to be. The patient did not do his part. 
He refused to obey the doctor's orders. It is vain for 
men to trust the Great Physician so long as they do 
not obey his commands. 



YOUK BEST FKIEND. 



A young woman who makes her own living, and 
a very good one, too, put fifty cents into the basket 
when the collection was taken for Foreign Missions, 
and seemed rather complacent over it. The friend be- 



128 Side Windotos; or, 

side her, whose circumstances were about equal to her 
own, dropped in a five-dollar hill. 

A ferw days later the two went out to select wed- 
ding presents for a mutual friend. The fifty-cent 
young woman bought one, which she grumbled was 
quite beyond her means; the other invested seventy- 
five cents in a modest little gift. 

"Really," said the first young lady, indignantly, "I 
should be ashamed to give anything of so little value 
to my best friend.'^ 

"Very likely," was the reply, %VLt we have changed 
places since Sunday. You may coimt Miss Smith a 
better friend than the Lord, but I do not." 



A NEGLECTED OPPOETUNITY. 

The whole church, and particularly those who were 
interested in the Sunday-school, felt that they were 
subjects foir congratulation when Miss Lexicon con- 
sented to take a class. She was teacher of ancient hisr 
tory in the college, and was an enthusiast on the sub- 
ject of Sunday-schools. She impressed the pastor with 
this fact upon the occasion of their first meeting. 

"We really have no thorough teaching in the Sun- 
day-school," she said decidedly. The good man, re- 
membering how many of the souls that had come into 
the kingdom under Hs preaching, whose conversion 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 129 

he attributed directly to the influence of the Sund^- 
school teacher, acquiesced rather doubtfully. But y^hen. 
she told him of how one very bright young persom 
had spoken confidently of Joseph, the husband of Mary, 
as having been sold into Egypt by his envioms breth- 
ren, and of another adult scholar who ,had the im- 
pression that Palestine was the chief -cifcy of the 
Jews, be was quite ready to agree with her. A 
class of young men, who had been very irregular in their 
attendance at the Sunday-school, was given to her, and 
for awhile the superintendent rubbed his hands joyfully 
over the great interest that was manifested by these 
hitherto indifferent young people. There was a good 
deal of disappointment, however,, when a little later 
a series of meetings, at which the gospel invitation was 
lovingly and earnestly presented, met with no response 
from them. At the very close of the meetings there 
came a Sunday so stormy that no more than a score 
ventured out Miss Lexicon was in her place; so also 
was one of her pupils — a young man whose reckless 
life had been a source of much sorrow to his friends. 
Had Miss Lexicon been less deeply absorbed in some 
diflScult points in the text, she would have noticed the 
look of nervous interest on his face. He did not come 
back to the evening service, but went instead with a 
gay party across the country foT a sleigh-ride. The 
sleigh was struck by the fast train and the young man 



ISO Side Windows; or, 

went out of life without a moment's warning. The 
niother sent for Miss Lecxicon. 

^^You were the last one that talked with him/^ she 
said; ^Vhat did yo<u talk about?'' 

"About the probable location of the temple and the 
influence of such a structure upon the architeeture of 
that time/' she faltered, reluctantly. 

For the first time in her life, and when it was too 
late, Miss Lexicon realized the meaning of the word 
"opportunity." 



HOW THE SALOON BOTHEKED HIM. 

A young man, just going into business, was asked 
to join a society, the purpose of which was the sup- 
pression of the saloon. 

"If every young man were like I am," he said, 
"the saloons would close soon enough. I never 
bother saloons, and am not afraid that they will 
bother me." His business was that of manu- 
facturing soaps, and he had put into it all of 
his capital. A chemist of considerable ability had 
charge of the laboratory, and had furnished the 
formula and cost of the goods. After the factory 
had been Iii operation for some time, it became evident 
that something was wrong. The proprietor was hope- 
lessly involved, and a failure was thQ result, Investi- 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 131 

gation proved tliat he had been selling the soap at about 
one-half the cost of production. The chemist had been 
under the influence of liquor when he made out his 
estimate, and the mistake cost the young man all his 
earthly possessions. 



MACHINES OR MEN? 



^^Why did n't God make it impossible for me to do 
wrong?'' some one asks. My brother, "a thing'' con- 
structed like that would n't have been a man. It 
would have been a machine. No one ever feels like 
taking off his hat to a combination of wheels and belts 
and levers for performing its w^ork. It can't do any- 
thing else. God has made it possible for every man 
to be honorable and noble. If he had made it im- 
possible for him to be anything else, honor and nobility 
would be meaningless terms. 



ALEEADY UNLOCKED. 



What a great amount of fretting and blundering 
we sometimos do over troubles that are already past! 
Some time ago a pastor, wishing to show his nefw 
church to a friend, took his key, and tlie two went to- 
gether over to the chapel. Putting his key into the 
lock, he made several attempts to unlock the door, 



132 Side Wmdows; or, 

but all in vain. He was on the point of going to find 
the janitor, when the door opened from within and the 
man himself appeared. 

"What is the mattor with the door?" the pastor 
questioned. "I tried a number of timeis, but oould 
not unlock it.'^ 

"ITo wonder you could n^t/' the janitor replied. 
"That door was already unlocked.'' 

There are those to-day who are standing outside of 
the kingdom, trying first one key and then another 
of their own forging, and all the while the door is 
unlocked to all those that choose to enter in. 



SAVING OR SHOWIiTG OFF. 

Determination is a necessary qualification for the 
soul-winner, but it is n't the only one. A man, who 
had more determination than deivotion, heard a 
preacher remark that the case of a certain man was 
hopeless. He made up his mind to show the faithless 
shepherd what be could do; so he worked day and 
night till he had induced the man to confess Christ. 
The convert was, however, soon disgusted with the 
inconsistent life of the man who had urged him to 
become a Christian, and fell back into his old ways. 
The worker had silenced the preacher, but he had not 
saved a sinner. The four men who brought the para- 



Lights Oil Scripture Truths. 133 

lytic to Christ were not simply determined to show the 
CTQwd that when they started out to do a thing, they 
were not to be hindered. The fact that Christ com- 
mended their faith shows that they thoiis'ht more about 
carrying the man than about carrying their point. 



WASTING AXD SPEXDI^^G. 

The proprietor of a country store was displaying 
to a customer a piece of dress goods which he fished 
out from a barrel of rubbish. The stuff was thin, 
slazy and very narrow. On these grounds his cus- 
tomer objected to it. "JTarrow?" the man roared, as 
he drew yard after yard from the depth of the barrel, 
^^but look at the length of it!'' There are not a fe^v 
who, in like manner, seem to think of human life 
that length of days will make up for all deficiencies. 

Xot long ago a man, speaking of Frances Willard, 
said: "Of course she did a great deal of good, but 
she died twenty-five years before her time, because 
she worked too hard." 

IsTo doubt he was right; and yet a life like Fran- 
ces Willard's, spun to the thinness her critics would 
have advised, would have made her a centenarian, and 
more. Length of life is beautiful only where the life 
has breadth and depth also. A life is wasted, though 
it be drawn out threescore and ten, if it has not been 



134 Side Windows; or, 

the servant of mem; and that life is profitably spent, 
thougli its course be run in a score of years, if it has 
made the world better. ^^He that saveth his life shall 
lose it ; and he that loseth his life for my sake and the 
gospel's, the same shall find it/' 



CALLIKO THE EIGHTEOUS OE SINNEES? 

"Won't yooi see if you can't interest that young man 
in coming to church ?" I said the other day, to a young 
Christian worker. 

"What! that fellow?" he replied. "Why, I met 
him on Vine Street yesterday with a cigarette in his 
mouth." 

I suppo'se that is the usual way of looking at such 
cases, yet it is fearfully inconsistent.. If I were to 
call on you to help get a drowning man out of the 
water, you might doubt your ability to do so, but you 
would hardly say, "What! that man? Why, his 
clothes are wet!" 



WEAE YOUE COLOES, 



A young lady, a member of the church, and who 
felt very complaisant in regard to her Christian life, 
was thrown one winter a good deal into the society of 
a young man who was not a Christian. One evening 



Lights on Scrvpture Truths. 135 

she went with him to a se.rviee where great religious 
interest was being manifested. On the way home he 
remarked : 

^^After all, I do n't know but that you and I are as 
well off as these church people." 

^^But I am one of the church people myself/' she 
stammered. 

The young man made a polite attempt at an apology, 
but the arrow had hit the mark. A private Christian 
life is an essential thing, but the one who has no public 
life is not likely to have a private one that is worth 
taking account of. 



EEJOICE IN THE LORD! 

In a certain school several young women wore try- 
ing to fit themselves for positions of usefulness. The 
struggle against poverty was a fierce one, and over and 
over again they were on the point of gi^'ing up. It 
was not the fact that they were sometimes hungry, 
and were continually the subjects of derision on the 
part of some of the well-to-do students, which weighed 
heavily upon them, but the fear that they might after 
all be forced to abandon their purpose. One of the 
young women, however, was never discouraged. She 
ate her scanty crusts and wore her shabby clothing 
with the utmost cheerfulness. The president of the 



136 Side Windoius; orP 

institutioai was her friend, and he had assured her 
that she should not leave the school even though her 
own means should be exhausted. When she had 
lifted all she could, he would lift the rest. In the 
midst of poverty not less grinding than that of her 
associates, she was able to rejoice — not in herself, but 
in her friend. 

Do you not see. in this, my brother, something akin 
to your own experience? In the midst of trial, not 
unlike that which comes to the rest of the world, you 
may rejoice — rejoice in the Lord, who has promised 
to stand for you in the mo'ment of your need. 



UNGKACIOUS THANKSGIVING. 

At school, one Christmas, the scholars gave their 
teacher a Bible. He was an eccentric man, and as he 
took it, he said, very coldly : "^^I thank yoii very much, 
but— I see it has no concordance in it." Of course^ 
they were all hurt at this show of ingratitude, and his 
^^I thank you" didn't count for much. I am afraid 
that a good many of us take our blessings from the 
hand of God in much the same way. We say, ^T am 
thankful," in a perfunctory manner, ^^but — I could 
make things better if I had my way.'' 

When we repine because of the unalterable environ- 
ments of our lives, we render our words of praise of 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 137 

no effect. A Cliristian grumbler is a monstrosity. 
And if we go from the praise service to find fault with 
everything about us, from the weather to the minis- 
ter's sermon, we are guilty of dissembling with our 
lips. 



riEST PERSOX— PLUEAL. 

A young man who had been a strong leader in 
Christian work, went away from his old home and 
there met with even greatCT s-uccess. On his return 
to the home church, he was eagerly invited to take 
his old place, which he did. This time, however, 
everything seemed to go wrong, and it was not long 
till it was plain that the ^yovk was on the doAvn-grade. 
Mortified and hurt, he resigned the place, w^ondering 
all the while where the trouble lay. 

In truth, the first word of the first speech that he 
made on assuming the place, revealed the root of the 
trouble. ^^You Endeavorers,'' he beg^n, and with that 
cut the cord that ooight to have bound leader and led 
together. Then he was not one of them! The old 
power to inspire and to lead was gone. This man 
might be a gTcat deal better than they were, but he 
was a straiager. The mistake is one against which 
we need continually to guard. When we begin to 
think of our brethren as "you,'^ there is the begin- 



138 Side Windows; or, 

ning of the etnd of our usefulness. Jesus became the 
Sou of man because it was man he had come to save, 
and the significance of that life which touched our 
own at every point is something we dare not forget. 



WHO IS HUKT? 



The fact that you can go to the theater without 
hurting your morals, no more proves that it is right 
if or you to go than it is proof that it is not wrong for 
a man to attend a prize-fight, because he comes hack 
without a scratch or a bruise on his own body. He 
is not physically hurt himself, but he is responsible 
for the physical hurt of those who make beiasts of 
themselves for his amusement. 

The moral theater-goer should noft forget those the 
wrecking of whose morals, which, while it is on 
the other side of the scenes, is a part of the yearly 
cost of the stage that must be kept up for his amuse- 
ment. 



IF YOU HAD WT TEIED. 

The writer remembers an incident that, very early 
in her career as a Sunday-school teacher, brought very 
forcibly to her the fact that the teacher's work may 
sometiiueis be a negative one. A man, noted for his 



^Lights on Sci^ipture Timths. 139 

great success in Siinday-scliool work, was questioning 
me about my class. 

"And wliat have you done for your boys ?" he said 
kindly. 

"Oh, I haven't done anything," I returned 
impulsively. "Js'ot one of them has become a Chris- 
tian ; indeed, I 'm not sure but they are all more 
reckless than thev were when I took the class." 

"Yes ?" and the answer that followed has helped 
me and encouraged me a thousand times; "but just 
remember, that if you had n't done anything for those 
boys, they might have been clean gone to the devil by 
this time." 



WE THEF THAT AEE STEOIS^G. 

A young girl, who was being urged to come into 
the church, said franklv: 

"I am fond of dancing and cards, and, though I 
don't see any harm in them, I know most religious 
people are opposed to them. Should I join the 
church and keep on at those things, lots of people 
would think I was a hypocrite." 

"Well, what of that, if you are sure you are right ?" 

"Why — Avhy, I 'd be harming the people who 
did n't believe in me. At leasts, I could n't do them 
any good." Out of her own mouth she had condemned 



140 Side Windows; or] 

herself. She had confessed that these worldly plea^ 
ures were responsible for her remaining ont of Chrisf, 
and she had no reason for believing that her case wa^j 
an exceptional one. She had admitted that they 
spoiled the Christian influence of those who indulged 
in them. The only plea in their favor was^, ^*^They 
do not hurt me.'' Has this admonition gone out of 
fashion, ^^We then that are strong ought to bear the 
infirmities of the weak, and not to plq^^se ourselves/' 
or have we substituted, ^^We then that are strong oiight 
to do as we please because we can" ? 



^THE MASTER HAS SAID IT." 

A schoolmaster gave to three of his pupils a dlfB- 
cult problem. 

^^You will find it very hard to solve," he said, ^^but 
there is a way." 

After repeated attempts, one of them gave up in 
despair. 

^There Is no way!" he declared. 

The second pupil had not succeeded, yet he was 
smiling and unconcerned. 

"I know it can be explained, because I have seen 
It done." 

The third worked on, long after the rest had given 
up. His head ached and his brain was In a whirl. 



'Lights on Scripture Truths, 141 

Yet, as he went over it again and again, he said with- 
out faltering, ^^I know there is a way, becan^ the 
master has said it/' 

Here is faith — ^that confidence that rests not upon 
what it has seen, but upon the promises of God. 



TWI^^ FEAUDS. 



The other day a man was arrested and sent to the 
workhouse on a peculiar charge. He had a very sore 
hand: it not only excited the pity of mo-st people to 
whom he insisted on exhibiting it, but it unfitted him 
for manual labor. What was the trouble ? Why, the 
man was keeping his hand sore, that he might escape 
work, and live upon the bounty of kind-hearted people. 

A young woman came into the society a year or 
so ago, affected with prayer-meeting-tongue paralysis. 
She had had it a long while; in fact, the pastor had 
been greatly troubled about her case. Then she had 
another affliction, that usually struck her when there 
were strangers at the services, and kept her from giv- 
ing them a word of welcome. We all hoped that the 
Endeavor Society would help her to overcome her 
troubles, but it hasn't. Shall I tell you why? She 
ivont let herself he cured! 

Like the man with the sore hand, she keeps pour- 
ing on an irritant by declaring that she never could 



142 Side Windows; or, 

say anything in meeting, and that she is so dread- 
fully timid that it ^ould frighten her to death to 
have to greet a stranger. She remembers of having 
once heard of a lady who turned her back on an En- 
deavorer who tried to shake hands with her. What 
if some one shoiuld treat her like that? She would 
never get over it. 

Her malady is bad enough, but, as in the case of 
the man with the sore hand, there are compensations. 
She gets some sympathy — and she gets out of a great 
deal of work that people might otherwise insist on 
her doing. 



WHAT HEAVEN WILL BE. 

A banquet was to be given to a number of notable 
people. One of the projectors of it went to a friend, 
who was in greater authority than himself, and asked 
with some anxiety what the menu was to be. 

"I really don't know," was the reply. 

"And you are not concerned about it?'' 

"No; B ," mentioning the name of a famous 

caterer, "Is to prepare the feiast, and that is assurance 
enough that it will be all right." 

He did not have to examine into the details. He 
would not have fully understood them if he had. It 
was enough to know that the matter was in the hands 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 143 

of one Avho never made a mistake. When Jesus said, 
'^I go to prepare a place for yon/' he told all that 
we need to know. He knows our needs and our long- 
ings as w€ do not know them ourselves. It is enough. 
If his hand is to make ready the feast, we have no 
need to question as to whether or not it will fully 
satisfy. 



lEKEPEOACHABLE IDOLS. 

The idols that the Israelites set up were made of 
pure gold. It was not that there was something base 
in the idols themselves, that made their sin so great, 
it was the fact that the place they gave them belonged 
to God. So, when something comes bet^veen^ us and 
him to whom we owe e^^erythingj it is n't always some- 
thing that is wrong. Yet just because of this there is 
all the more danger. 

A young man just starting in business desired 
greatly to have money to devote to carrying the gospel 
to the heathen. He said, ^^I long to get rich, that I 
may carry out my plans for God." 

He was sinc-ere enough in Avhat he said. But he 
gave up the mid-week meetings of the church because 
he found he could use this time profitably in his busi- 
ness. The end justified the means to him. It was 
Bot long before he threw aside everything but that 



144 Side Windows; oi\ 

which ministered to hia one aim. He did become 
rich, but lo'ng before that time he had forgotten all 
about his first plan and put the god of mammon in 
the place of the true God. 



THE TIME IS SHOET. 



In a certain factory, where each man was required 
to finish so much work in a given length of time, 
bells were rung at intervals to remind the men just 
how: much time they had left. 

"The men work better when they realize that the 
day is slipping away from them/' the manager ex- 
plained. 

The same thing is true of us concerning spiritual 
things. We need often to be reminded that ^^the time 
is short." "The night cometh when no man can work." 
We work better when we realize that the day is slip- 
ping away from us. 



THEY SHALL SEE GOD. 

During the Civil War a young man was arrested 
on the suspicion that he was a spy. In vain he pro- 
tested his imrocence. The soldiers who took him had 
what seemed to be the best proof of his guilt, so they 
held him while they awaited the coming of the su- 



Lights on Scripture Truths, . 145 

perior officer before whom he was to be tried. What 
was their astonishmeait to find, upon the arrival of 
their superior, that the young man wias not only a 
loyal soldier, but a personal friend of the officer him- 
self. 

"Were you not alarmed at the prospect before 
you?" they asked of the young man. 

"Ko/' was the reply; "I knew that I was inno- 
cent, and that my friend would not allow any harm 
to come to me. I could literally see him standing 
between me and danger.'^ 

Thus it is that the pure-hearted man shall see God, 
not merely in the life that is to come, but in every 
hour of need he may look up as did Saint Stephen 
and see God standing beside him as Master and Friend. 



WHOM EICHES MAKE HAPPY. 

I knew a man to w^hom riches brought happiness. 
I do not believe he would have been happy without 
them. When he was a mere boy he had a fine head 
for business. He was wise, industrious, and had a 
wonderfully clear financial insight. But he wanted to 
be a preacher. He tried two years, and then said, 
"I can't do that, but I will give the Lord the one 
talent I have." So he became a stock-raiser. He was 
fair, businesslike and paiinstaking. The resuJt was 



146 Side Windoivs; or, 

that he prospered marvelously. He became nofted for 
the high grade of his stock and for his remarkable 
sense of honor. 

There were temptations, but he stood so firmly by 
his Christian faith that men never felt that there was 
anything incongruous about it when he stopped in the 
midst of a business transaction and talked freely to 
them of the greater riches. All the while he gave, he 
gave for Christ's sake. ITever a needy soul that came 
in contact with him went away without realizing that 
here was a man to love and to honor. 

Toilers in hard fields at home and abroad were able 
to work with better heart because he gave of his sub- 
stance, though many of them never knew his name. 
He thought sometimes of his boyish dream of preach- 
ing the gospel. Still it seemed to him the greatest 
thing in tha world, but he was happy because he knew 
that he was doing it. Riches had brought him happi- 
ness. 



HELP OTHEES— AND YOURSELF. 

A lad saw a man lifting great, heavy weights. He 
would lift them and then put them down just where 
he found them. He did n't seem to be doing anything 
in particular ; so, by and by, the boy asked the man 
what he was trying to do. He said that lifting would 



Lights on Scripture Truths. l-i7 

make him strong. At once there was a question in the 
lad's mind as to why, while he was at it, he didn't 
lift something that needed to be lifted. Of course, 
I need n't remind you that, spiritually, it is lifting that 
makes us strong. Christian exercise, however, differs 
from physical athletics in this : The man gets strength 
when he is not making an effort in his own behalf at 
all. As a rule, his own uplifting and strength come 
to him as a surprise. 



BE DEFIIs^ITE, 



A certain evangelist, who had a marvelous faculty 
for drawing audiences, and for holding their atten- 
tion, was continually puzzled over the paucity of the 
results of his preaching. The trouble was just here. 
Instead of throwing all his power into the presenta- 
tion of one truth, he flashed out one truth after an- 
other, till his sermon was nothing more than an enter- 
tainment. 

Instead of a single* powerfully drawn picture, held 
up until it had burned itself into the consciousness of 
those that beheld it, there was a sort of stereopticon 
entertainment, whose rapidly dissolving pictures left 
only the impression that it had been ^Very beautiful." 

A wicked man, who listened to the preacher, and 
had been repeatedly moved to tears by the flow of 



148 Side Windows; or, 

pathos, was asked by some of his companions one 
night what he had been crying about. 

"That '9 the strangest part of it, boys/' he said 
mysteriously; "I know that I cried like a fool, but 
after I got out of the house, I studied the matter 
over, and I couldn't toll for the life of me what it 
was about/' 



SO SHALL THY STEENGTH BE. 

In a poor and remote district of a certain kingdom, 
the peasants, had construoted la rud0 bridge. They 
were unskilled, and their materials were poor; still, 
by means of the bridge, they were able to cross the 
roaring torrent to the forests beyond, where they went 
daily to cut timber. 

One day the royal messenger came that way to an- 
nounce to the people that the king, with his attend- 
ants, was coming, and would cross the bridge to the 
territory that lay beyond. "Our poor bridge will be 
ruined if the great chariot passes over it," they said, 
"and we will not be able to build another one." But 
they had scarcely done speaking, when a great army 
of the king's stonemasons and bridge-builders appeared. 
The old bridge was taken away and a splendid one, 
with stone battlements and carefully fitted timbers, 
took its place. But for the severe test, the weak, un- 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 149 

certain structurei migLt have remained. So, my 
brother, do you not see that God blesses you in strength- 
ening you for the trial, rather than in keeping the 
trial from coming ? He has not promised to make the 
day fit for your strength, but instead your strength 
for the day. 

^^I have always prayed that the Lord would spare 
me that trial," a young Christian said the other day, 
speaking of the experience of a friend. ^^My patience 
is so small that I am certain I should never be able 
to stand the test^'' You see, she made two mistakes; 
one in thinking that the Father could so err in judg- 
ment or in kindness as to bring together a man and 
a burden that were not suited to each other ; the other 
in thinking of him as fitting the burden to his chil- 
dren, rather than his children to the burden. 



^^BELONGING TO THE CHUKCH." 

In the first place, there are more people who be- 
long to tJie church than you have any idea of. Stat- 
isticians tell us that one-third of our adult popula- 
tion is in the church. But Avhat of the other two- 
thirds w^ho are not in the church? Why, they belong 
there. If the church is a divinely provided home for 
those who would be loyal to the Saviour of the world, 
then every man, woman and child, who is old enough 



150 Side Windoivs; or, 

to imderstaiid the plain coanmaiids of tEe Bible, be- 
longs tbere. 

The wayward son, who leaves his father^s house 
and becomes a wanderer on the face of the earth, may 
come back and peer in the windows at the brothers 
and sisters who are there. He may say, "If I were 
in there, I would be more respectful or devoted than 
they are/^ Well, he belongs there, at least; and his 
father has the same right to his devotion. So, my 
friend, whatever airs of indifference you may assume, 
you do belong to Christ's church, and it has the right 
to aSik your whole-hearted support. 



MOTH OAIT NOT COEEUPT. 

We wonder a little that the child can take such pride 
in a soap-bubble, not because the bubble is not beautifulj, 
but because it is so soon ' destroyed. The artist puts 
a bubble upon the canvas and we say of his work that 
it is a great achievement. Yet the canvas will one 
day fall to pieces. There is just one thing which ^ve 
may give ourselves that is absolutely imperishable. I 
have often thought of why it is that fellowship in 
soul-saving is so much sweeter than fellowship of any 
other sortw It is not transient. It is hardly possi- 
ble that when they meet over beyond the river of death, 
those who are friends because they were of the same 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 151 

business taste® will have the same things in common. 
But soul-savers will undoubtedly have something to talk 
over, since they w^ill find there the treasures for v^hich 
they toiled. 



KEEPING UP THE LIGHTS. 

One night, in a fearful storm, the great railroad 
bridge was swept away. The old section boss discov- 
ered the fact; but, as the wires were down, he could 
not communicate with the station-keepers. There was 
only one thing to do. He must build a fire on the 
track and keep it burning till after time for the four 
o'clock express. There were likely to be extra freights, 
and these must be warned. The storm raged, but for 
hours the old man stood and fed the fire. Finally he 
began to realize that his strength was giving away. 
What if he should drop at his post? Ifot only would 
he himself perish, but the fire would die down and 
there would be nothing to prevent the trains rushing 
to the wrecked bridge and to certain death. He went 
to the shanty, and, rousing his son, bade him attend 
to the fire while he took an enforced rest. Eor awhile 
the young man was faithful; but by and by the fire 
began to die down and he grew sleepy. ^^I will have 
plenty of time to replenish it when I hear the rum- 
ble of the train/' he said, wrapping himsoli in his 



152 Side Windows; or, 

great coat. Wheoi he awakeoied^ the express was rush- 
ing by, and he knew that many lives would be lost be- 
cause of his carelessness. 

When Jesus was here he said, ^^As long as I am 
in the world, I am the light of the world." Now he 
says to you and me, "Ye are the light of the world." 
Do n't let your light grow dim, even f ot a single hour. 
Some one may go to his death because you did not 
honor your trust. 



A BUSINESS CHEISTIAN. 

After a brief business career, which at first prom- 
ised well, a young man ended in a particularly bad 
failure, 

"The trouble with Iiim was," said an old business 
man, "that he never knew exactly what he was trying 
to do. He took the road ostensibly to work up trade 
for his house, but he planned the trip that he might 
take in lakes and mountains and all sorts of attractive 
places. He stopped to visit some old college friends-, 
and never allowed business to interfere with any so- 
cial pleasures within his reach. The fact was, being 
a business man was only incidental with him." 

The case reminded me of the Christian who made 
a failure of his Christian profession. He started out 
to follow Christ, but following Christ was never more 



Lights on Scripture Tridlis, 153 

than a side issue with him. It was not that it would 
have been impossible for him to be a Christian and 
a business man^ or a Christian and an agreeable fel- 
low; the trouble was that he put these latter things 
first. 



CONVEKTS EXPECTED. 

j^re you expecting them? You may cast in the 
linCj you may study methods of soul-wiinning, you 
may exhort and pray, but are you really expecting 
results? There are certain conditions that will an- 
swer that question more truthfully than it can be an- 
swered in words. 

If Your friend asks vou to dine with him and vou 
go around to his house at the appointed hour to find 
that no provision has been made for you — what then ? 
Why, you will conclude that the invitation was not 
given in sincerity, and that he did not expect you 
at all. When C. E. stands for company expected, it 
means that you have your house swept and garnished 
and all things in readiness for the expected guest. 

It can not meian less in the church. You have in- 
vited the stranger, you have put upon your cards 
and annoimced ^^Strangers welcome;" are you ready 
to receive them ? 

In some cases I am afraid that expectancy is so 
slight that if he were to come, the stranger would 



154 Side Windoivs; or^ 

find that no> onje really eixpected him. Peirhaps he 
would have to stand unwelcomed while you settled it 
among yourselves whose place it was to speak to him 
first. 



STEPPING OVEK THINGS. 

An office boy, whose duty was partly that of col- 
lecting bills, and partly that of taking care of the office, 
was recently responsible for his own discharge. While 
he v/a,s very zealous about the former tasks, he was 
eixtremeily careless about the latter. His employeir, 
thinking one day to give him a reminder, placed the 
empty coal-bucket where it Vv^ould be in his way as he 
started on his morning rounds. Coming back, how- 
ever, the gentleman found the bucket lying on one side, 
still empty. The boy had solved the question by step- 
ping over the bucket. Collecting bills was certainly 
not less important than keeping up the fires, but, in. 
passing a duty unfinished, to take up one beyond it, he 
showed himself to be untrustworthy. 

A prominent woman philanthropist tells of how, 
when she was about to start across the continent on a 
mission to San Francisco, her baby put its soft little 
arms about her neck, begging mamma not to go away 
and leave it again, and how the little one volunteered 
to get into the little trunk and be very good, if only 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 155 

she might be allowed to go with her mother. After 
telling ho^v the child's pleadings WTung her heart, she 
adds, ^^But I did not tarry. Duty called me om.'^ 

Did it, indeed? Awful and pressing as are the 
needs of the men she is trying to save, do they call 
a mother to give over to strangers the duties that 
belong to motherhood ? Is not the woman who does it, 
however much she may desire to do God's service, 
rather stepping over an obligation that is most impo^rt- 
ant, because it is first? 

Whatever condition deprives the little child of its 
home life (and there is no home life if there is not 
a mother in the home) is wrong. 

But the illustration is only one of many. How 
many times have you been tempted to step over the 
commonplace duty right before you, because there was 
something beyond it, harder, perchance, yet for this 
very reason more attractive? You feel more like you 
deserve a laurel wreath, and your f riemds are far more 
likely to vote you one, if you spend your aftemoom 
in climbing tenement-house stairs than if you give 
it up to making the hours pass more pleasantly to 
the fretful child or the dull invalid in your own 
home. Yo-u may be able to reach a half-hundred 
hearts while you are reading papers or delivering ad- 
dresses at the conventions, but how will you settle it 
with God about the obligation you assumed when you 



156 Side Windows; or^ 

took charge of those six boys that were left teacher- 
less in your abseoice? 

God may call you to do something the world calls 
heroic — to labor in some remote field — ^but be assured 
that it is not his voice that calls, so long as it means 
stepping over that to which you have put your hand 
and have not finished. 



A PULPIT ON FIEE. 



In an article on how to fill up the pews in our 
churches, a writer drops the sententious remark that 
when a pulpit is on fire there will be no lack of people 
to come to see it burn. The meaning the writer in- 
tended to convey was that intense spirituality in the 
church always attracts. We know that this is true. 
It is not curiosity alone that fills up our churches 
when the menibers are aroused, or, to use a popular 
phrase, when a revival is in progress. 

The statement, though, may have another meaning. 
It is no evidence that the church is fulfilling its mis- 
sion when it attracts crowds of people. A house that 
is being devoured by flames is sure to have plenty of 
on-lookers. There are pulpits that are being consumed 
of worldliness and sensationalism which the crowds 
come to view with the keenest interest. The churches 
are frequented with very much the same spirit in which 



Lights on Scripture Tumtlis. 157 

a good many newspaper readers pounce upon a scan- 
dal that involves the downfall of those that have sat 
in high places. 

When the church resorts to stage effects, and poses, 
it may be with the laudable desire of getting people 
to come to hear the gospel preached. The trouble is 
that the gospel has to be set aside to make room for 
these things, and is wholly lost sight of. Its predica- 
ment is similar to that of the good mother who re- 
solved to buy sweetmeats with which to induce her 
children to eat the homely, wholesome fare that they 
needed, but discovered too late that she had spent all 
her money for the bribe and had none left with which 
to buy bread and butter. Those that have seen the 
Sunday service,, the Endeavor Society, and the church 
prayer-meeting almost deserted, after some special ef- 
fort in the way of a festival or spectacular diversion, 
will readily grasp the sad meaning of this illustra- 
tion. The church has spent all its force before it came 
to the real issue. 



THE BEIGHT SIDE. 



^Took on the bright side,'' may be a wholesome 
exhortation, but it depends on circumstances. There 
are individuals who are so determined not to have 
their pleasure spoiled by the unpleasant things of the 



158 Side Windows; or, 

world that they either turn their eyes or pass by on 
the other side when they know there is a case of dis- 
tress at hand. 

^^jSTo, I never visit the sick," said a young woman. 
"It makes me feel uncomfortable.'^ Another an- 
nounces that she never attends a funeral or goes to 
the house of mourning, for the same reason. The at- 
titude is an intensely selfish one, and is certainly not 
becoming to one who professes to be following in the 
footsteps of the Christ. He looked on the dark side of 
human life. He it was who saw the man blind from 
his birth, discerned the presence of the cripple, and 
stopped by the side of the mourning widow of Nain. 
If looking on the bright side means making the best 
of our losses and hoping for better things, very well; 
but God never meant that we should hide our faces 
from the world's sorrows. 



WHAT YOUR IDLENESS WILL COST. 

Your idleness and mine means souls lost through- 
out eternity. A young man who had just come from 
Cuba told how there were brought into their camp one 
day a lot of sick and starving soldiers. There were 
no nurses to look after them, and so the soldiers were 
detailed to help give out food, and otherwise min- 
ister to the needs of the distressed. The call was n't 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 159 

official, so some of the soldieirs did n't respond. One 
of them was lying in his tent asleep, and a comrade 
went and tried to get him up. 

"I 'm not coming till I have taken a nap/^ was 
the reply. "I guess I need a little rest, and a half 
hour won't make much difference.'' 

^^Maybe it won't make much difference to you,^ 
was the reply. ^^But it will make a difference to the 
score or more poor fellows who will die for lack of 
what you might have done for them in that time." 



SOME OTHER WAY. 

(JOHX X. 1.) 

Men who take great liberties with the plan of sal- 
vation are fond of telling us that it does n't matter 
how men are saved, so they are brought into the 
kingdom. Maybe that is true, though the assurance 
has not been given, except with God's plan; but has 
it ever occurred to you that there is a good deal of 
presumption in deliberately planning to accept the 
most gracious of offers and still to reject the conditions ? 

Suppose you make a splendid feast and invite me 
to your home to partake of it. Along with the invita- 
tion there are a few instructions. "Come to the 
main entrance," you say, "present this card, and the 
footman will admit you to the banqueting-hall." What 



160 Side Windows; or, 

if, at the appointed hour for the feast, you should 
find me trying to force my way into the house through 
one of the cellar windows? It would not be easy, 
I think, for me to persuade you that my intentions 
were honorable ones. Jesus said, ^^He that . . . 
climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and 
a robber/' 



THE GEEAT QUESTION 

^^Did you spend much time in discussing how far 
Cana was from Sychar ?" one teacher said to another 
as they came from the classroom. "I didn't men- 
tion it,'' was the quick reply; ^^I was too much taken 
up with the thought of how far some of my scholars 
were from Jesus Christ." 



UNPEOFITABLE SEEVAIsTTS. 

Is it not strange that we need to be urged to do 
the very things we profess to have adopted for our 
chief business ? Suppose a man answers a farmer's 
advertisement for a farm-hand. The farmer says, "I 
want you to plow that field and put in a crop, and I 
will pay you so much." The young man accepts the 
offer and ostensibly goes to work. Yet all summer 
long the farmer and his family have to keep exhorting 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 161 

the young man to go out and plow. He even employs 
a man to come once a week and urge the man to plow. 
Of course, all this is ridiculous ; no farmer would toler- 
ate such conduct, and no farm-hand would be so unrea- 
sonable as to think that he would ; still, the ways of too 
many of the Lord's so-called servants are not much 
more consistent. We all know that our preachers have 
to use the time and strength, that ought to be spent 
in saving sinners, in stirring up the saints and exhort- 
ing them to plow. 



GETTING UI^TOKED. 



A good many people do; and it has been the prob- 
lem of the churcJi always why so many who have 
started well become recreant and cast off the yoke t'hey 
have assumed. In every case, the trouble is just this 
— ^tbe desire to do things in which we can not ask 
Christ's help. There is one of two things to be done 
— subdue the wrong desire or take off the yoke. 

A young Cliristian, who thinks it quite proper for 
her to amuse herself in the ballroom, at the card-table 
or at the theater, was disgusted with a preacber who 
made a practice of going to the play. 

^^But you are a regular habitue," we suggested. 

"That has nothing to do with it," was the cool re- 
joinder. "I 'm not yoked to the preacher." 



162 8ide Windows; or,^ 

^^Which means, I suppose, that if you were obliged 
to drag your pastor along with you, you wouldn't go 
to some of these placesl'' 

"Of course not. I think a preacher ought to Be — 
different.'^ 

"And how about taking Christ with you? I be- 
lieve that you profess to be yoked t0 him." 

There was an ominoiis silence. She saw that when 
she indulged in things which she did not care to see 
those who made special pretensions at goodness imi- 
tate, she co'uld not consistently expect to take Christ 
with her. She must, for the time being at least, slip 
off the yoke. It is true she may put it on again. But 
siome day she will not care to go back to it, and the 
world that encouraged her to do it, will laugh in its 
sleeve and say: "Another backslider!'' 



DOCTOES AND REVIVALS. 

A critic raised a protest against the revival, on 
the ground that it indicates an unnatural state of 
affairs somewhere. You are right, brother. We might 
add that we are forced to a similar conclusion con- 
cerning the: state of affairs in your home, when we 
see the doctor's buggy stopping before your door. 

Of course, it would be better if all the Christians 
who have been made spiritually whole would remain 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 163 

that way. It would be less expensive if sinneTS could 
always be brought around without a special course of 
treatment, just as it would be better if our throats 
and lungs and stomachs never needed to be readjusted. 
However, since we must deal with the real rather 
than the ideal, we are not likely to be in a position 
to disjDense with either the doctor or the revival this 
side of millennium. 



BABYLOlf A2^D JEEUSALEM. 

That the Jews learned at least one lesson from 
their captivity in Babylon can not be disputed, !N'ever 
again did they cast their eyes longingly after strange 
gods. For all that, the lesson was dearly bought. In 
the day when liberty to the captives was proclaimed, 
comparatively fenv of the people responded. While 
many returned to Jerusalem, many more lingered in 
Babylon. Some of them, no doubt, were wedded to 
the ways of Babylon and had no desire to leave it. 
Others, perhaps, were so bound down by domestic and 
business relations that they could not get away. 

The same things are true of those who are carried 
off into the Babylon of sin. K few return to the Jeru- 
salem of peace, having profited by their bitter experi- 
ence, but many more never come back at all. They 
love the wavs of sin, or they have become so anchored 



164 Side Windows; or, 

to its institutions that escape has become well-nigh 
impossible. Let the yomng man who co-nnts upon tak- 
ing his "fling'' among the attractions of a sensual life 
be warned. He may be among those who will never 
return to the city of peace. 



THE PEICE OF SUCCESS. 

A tersely expressed truth was the answer of the 
business man when his friend asked him if he had 
met with success in business. "Met with it?" he re^ 
joined ; "I should say I have n't. All the success, I 've 
attained I had to run after." 

Quite the same is true in our spiritual lives. Men 
and women do not meet the ideal casually. Neither 
do they become saints while they are asleep. 



HOW THEY BEOUGHT A REVIVAL. 

^^Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that 
there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now 
herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open 
you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a bless- 
ing that there shall not be room enough to receive 
it," the preacher read. 

Well, surely they hoped that this might be the 
case at Broken Ridge. It had been long enough since 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 165 

there had been anything like a revival. But the 
preacher was not talking about revivals. He was 
speaking of the old flour-mill in the valley below, and 
of the thoughts that had come to him yesterday as he 
passed it on his way to the Eidge. 

A picture was before him, and he seemed to see 
an almost endless train of men and women moving 
through the low, broad doorways. It was made up of 
those that through almost half a century had come 
here and gone away loaded with that which, so far 
as the natural wo^rld was concerned, was the most 
precious thing in the world, since it meant bread. But 
there was another pictura Before these went out 
laden with bread, there had been a procession of ruddy 
farmers, who poured into the great hoppers something 
that looked like gold. Some years they had poured in 
with lavish hands, and there had been bread in abund- 
ance ; again, the harvest had been meager, and the old 
mill had given out a scanty supply. As he came in 
sight of the meeting-house another thought had come 
to him. God's people were asking for bread. They 
wanted more fervency and zeal in the church; they 
wanted to see sinners brought into the kingdom, and 
surely God wanted to do these things for them, but 
had they brought the tithes into the storehouse? 

A strange thrill went through the house. The 
question seemed so intensely personal, that men and 



166 Side Windows; or, 

women moved uneasily as though some were 
about to hold up their hidden faults to the gaze 
of others. 

At the mention of the word "tithes/' Deacon Lim- 
ber's eye had brightened. The deacon was known to 
be a "close'' man, yet nobody could ever say that he 
shirked his honesti obligations. Especially was this 
true in what he considered his debts to the church. 
He wondered just now how Asa Lemon felt. He had 
refused to pay anything toward the protracted meet- 
ing. He did n't pay more than seventy-five cents in 
a whole year to the support of the church, the deacon 
averred. ISTow, he — but the deacon progressed no fur- 
ther in his self-congratulations. 

"Your tithe is not simply the money you owe 
God/' the preacher was saying, "though that is a part 
of it. It is everything he asks of you, and everything 
you promised to give him when you confessed him be- 
fore men. Do n't ask him to pour out a blessing while 
you say ^no' to him. He can't do it. The poor and 
the hungry are here in his stead. Have you given 
them the loving ministry he asks of you?" 

Deacon Limber started. Some one had told him 
yesterday that Biddy McMorrow and her children 
were seeing hard lines. He had said that it ought to 
be a lesson to her. But now it looked different to 
him. Biddy never knew this. She only knew that 



Lights on ScHpture Truths. 167 

on that cold Sunday aiternoon food and warmth came 
into her hut. 

But to go back to the sermon: God had asked for 
their time. Were not some of them spending six days 
working for self, and one in idleness, while the Lord^s 
work languished ? The schoolteacher bowed her head. 
What was it she had said when they asked her to 
lend a hand to the discouraged little Sunday-school? 
No time ! 

God had bidden them to give cheer and kind words 
to one another. How dared they ask for spiritual 
blessings when their hearts were hard toward each 
oth^r? A woman over by the stove turned a startled 
look toward a woman in the third row. No one else 
saw the look that met her own, and only a few saw the 
two, when meeting was out, meet each other in a 
clumsy embrace. 

^^Sairv, I 'm sorrv I said it/' one of them sobbed. 

^^No, Lizzie, I 'm the one that 's most to blame,'' 
was the whispered response. 

At the close of the sermon Sunday night three 
young people confessed Christ "It was powerful 
preaching/' some one said, a month later, "to start the 
revival the very first night." 

"It wasn't the preaching that started me," John 
Limber declared. "It was pa. I never thought he 
believed in his own religion until last night. But 



168 Side Windows; or, 

when he and Sairy Morse and Miss Long and the 
schoolteacher talked and prayed the way they did, I 
felt like I wanted to get into it, too/' 

"Anyway, Bro. Bixley must he a masterful hand 
at movin' sinners,'^ some one said to the deacon, as 
he finished reading the report of the Broken Eidge 
meeting. 

"Well, yes," the deacon returned cautiously. 
"But I say his forte is movin' the saints; which 
we Ve found out here at Broken Ridge,'' he added, 
after a minute's reflection, "is about the surest way 
to move sinnors." 



WHAT WE DESEEVE. 



I wonder what an employer would think of one 
of the men in his service if he would assume the same 
attitude concerning his work that we do about our pro- 
fessed service of the Lord ? Can you imagine a book- 
keeper saying that he thinks his employer ought to 
show him special favors because he has been at his post 
every day for a week? We say, certainly not; that 
is simply a part of what he agreed to do when he 
took the place. Indeed, he could n't expect to keep 
the situation if he failed to do these things. I^Tot 
long ago I heard a man say that he served the Lord 
faithfully for three years, but he found that he did n't 



Xights on Scripture Truths. 169 

get anything for it. His neighbor, who made no pre- 
tensions at being a Christian, had better luck in busi- 
ness and had prospered generally more than he had, 
I learned afterward that his ^^service" had consisted 
in going to church when everything was favorable. 
Well, I think that, if the Lord saw enough in his 
Christianity to entitle him to the hope and privileges 
of a Christian, he ought to have been humbly thank- 
ful,' instead of asking for a premium. 



HE NEEDS YOU. 



While salvation is certainly a personal matter, men 
sometimes forget that there is God as well as them- 
selves to be taken into consideration. 

A young man had been repeatedly urged to accept 
Christ. 

"I intend to come sometime,'^ was his invariable 
reply, ^^but not just now.'' 

Back in the old home he had left was 9l mother 
whoan he loved with a mosti ardent devotion. One 
dav the friend wiho had so often talked with' him 
about his soul, said : ^^I wonder what you would do 
if a telegram should be brought to you, saying, 'Come 
home! Your mother needs youT Would you say, 
■Well, I will go sometime,' and put the telegram in 



170 ^Side Windows; or, 

your pocket and go about your business just as you 
did before r 

'^No/' the young man answered, emphatically; ^^I 
would go to her as fast as the train could carry me.'^ 

"And yet/' his friend went on, ^^I have come to 
you and brought you a message not less tender and 
urgent It says, 'SoUy come Jiome. Your Father needs 
you/ How have you treated it?" 

The arrow struck home. The young man saw 
that he had been treating his best friend with dis- 
respect and ingratitude, and immediately answered 
the call. 



NOT FASTENED IN THE EIGHT PLACE. 

An old woman, w^ho went away from home every 
day, w^as veiy much annoyed by the disobedience of 
her children. Every day she told them not to go into 
the garden to play, and every day they disobeyed her. 
At last she brought a locksmith, who put iron staples 
on their shoes so they could be fastened to the floor 
with a padlock. This the mother did and took the 
key with her. When she returned she found the shoes 
still fastened to the floor, but the children had slipped 
out of them. The fastenings were all right, but they 
should .have been on the children instead -of on the 
shoe^, TheistOT^Is 4 greTty goodi illustration of what 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 171 

we often see. People join the church and sign pledges, 
and we think they are established. By and by, 
though, some temptation comes along and they break 
away because it was not their hearts that were an- 
chored. 



PALACES OK PIG-PEXS- 

A man who had been very imfortunate as to his 
temporal concerns took his family and sought out a 
solitary place in a rocky, barren country, and there 
builded him a rude hut. Out of the stone that 
abounded in the region, he constructed a shelter for 
the few swine he had brought with him. Here for 
many years the family eked out a scanty existence. 
Life was poor and hard, and yet they lived. One 
day a stranger came to his door and inquired concern- 
ing the stone he had used in making shelter for his 
animals. The old man told the stranger where he 
had obtained the stone, adding that it was of poor qual- 
ity and had crumbled under the rough usage to which 
it had been put, but tbat it had answered the pur- 
pose. Imagine his surprise when he was informed that 
the stone he had put to such base use was a rare kind 
of marble that was worth almost its weight in gold. 
He had made a shelter for swine out of that which 
would have provided him with a palace. God has put 



172 Side Windows; or, 

into the hands of every man that out of which he 
may provide for himself a royal crown and a mansion 
in the world to come. Too many, alas ! nse their riches 
of talent and treasure to shelter and feed the baser 
part of their being. Paul says, "It doth not appear 
what we shall be/' neither doth it appear what we 
might be, if we would invest ourselves wisely. 



HAVE A PURPOSE. 



A good deal is gained by the young Christian when 
he makes up his mind as to what his business really 
is in the world. A queer genius in a back country 
district invented a wonderful machine. It generated 
a good deal of power, and seemed to be capable of 
accomplishing something, if only it were put to the 
task. "What is it for ?" some one asked the inventor. 

"Well,'' was the reply, "it might be used for a 
sausage-grinder, or it might do to hitch to a sewing- 
machine. Then I had thought some of using it for 
a printing-press." Because he never thoroughly made 
up his mind on this point, the wonderful machine was 
allowed to stand idle. 

A good many really forceful people are lost lo tKe 
church in pretty much the same way. They think they 
might be useful in this capacity, or perhaps in that. 
Then they have had an idea of devoting themselves 



Lights on Scri/pture Truths. 173 

to something else. The consequence is that they have 
done nothing. 

We are disposed to be hard on the rich man who 
had more of this world's goods than he knew what 
to do withj and sat do^vn to devise some new way 
of disposing of them. I am afraid that a good many 
of us who have not an overplus of this sort of wealth 
are equally guilty. The young person who looks for 
something b}^ which he may ^^kill time'' needs to re- 
member that he has at command that by which he 
might bless many who need his ministry. 



"^IF I WEEE A CHEISTIAK" 

'^If I were a Christian/' a man was saying the 
other day, as he viewed critically a faulty church- 
member, "I would certainly try to live up to my obli- 
gations." 

^^If you would live up to your obligations, you 
would be a Christian," was the so-mewhat startling re- 
ply. The average man who holds himself aloof from 
the church seems to forget that the same God who cre- 
ated the Christian created him also, and that, in the 
strictest sense, God is the Pather of them both. The 
fact that he goes into an alien land to live out his 
life, and deairives his Father of his service altO'gether, ^ 
does not free him from accountability. It ,does^riot] 



174 Side Windows; or^ 

even warrant him in making a favorable comparison 
between himself and the son who remains at home 
and renders imperfect service to the one to whom he 
owes so much. 



PREVET^TIO^ ATTD CUEE. 

Some one wrote to the honsehold editor of a cer- 
tain magazine for a remedy for mosquito bites. I 
don't remember how the wise editor replied to the 
inquirer, but I think if I had been answering him, I 
should have suggested wire screens and a good mos- 
quito bar. Cure up the wounded, of course, but see to 
it that the carnage stops right where it is. Prevent- 
ive remedies are the very best kind, and are always 
the cheapest. Keeley cures and inebriate asylums are 
all right for those who have been victimized, but it 
is a poor way if we expect to keep it up. 



HE SHALL HAVE THEM IK DERISIOX. 

Such instances as the following give one a clearer 
insight into the meaning of the Psa[Imist when> he 
says, ^^He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The 
Lord shall have them in derision.'^ 

A young college student who had taken up Ingerr- 
sollism, because it seemed to fit his overv/helming sense 



Lights 0)1 Scripture Truths. 175 

of self-importance, came home full of the desire to 
enlighten his less progressive relatives. 

"What would you say/' he began impressively, 
addressing his brother, "if I should tell you that in 
twenty minutes I can produce arguments that will 
utterly annihilate the religion of Jesus Christ?" 

"About the same thing/' rejoined his brother, 
"that I should say if I were to see a gnat crawling up 
the side of Mount Washington, threatening to smash 
the whole thing with its weight" 



THE MODEE]S^ PEODIGAE. 

We can only conjecture what the plans of the 
young man in the parable were when he demanded 
his portion. He wanted to have a "good time/' we 
are certain of that. He wanted to live a life of sen- 
sual pleasure — to throw off everything like restraint. 
Somehow, though, he could not bring himself to do 
it under the eve of his father, and in the very shadow 
of the old home. There was only one way. He must 
put distance between himself and these things. Many 
a one has had the same experience. 

"There were a good many things I wanted to do,'^ 
said a repentant profligate, telling his experience, "but 
because the thou2:ht of mv mother's teachinsrs would 
come back to me, I could not quite bring myself to 



176 Side Windows; or, 

do them. I found that I would have to get away from 
the memory of her words and prayers before I could 
really enjoy my freedom/' ^^Who shall separate us 
from the love of Christ?" Paul asks; then he goes 
on to enumerate a number of things that can not do it. 
There is one agency, however, that can — ^the man him- 
self. Whoever finds himself a great way off from his 
Father's house, may well reflect that it was his own 
feet that took him there. 



"lis THE BEGINNING GOD.'' 

Does one duty ever take the precedence over an- 
other? It is the old question over which the rabbis 
disputed. ^^Which is the first and great command- 
ment ?" The question was, after all, a legitimate one. 
Even among unmistakable obligations there are those 
which have the right to rank first. 

The man who builds a house can not leave out the 
framework, but before that must come the foiuidation. 
Roof and framework and foundation are all es- 
sential, but imagine the result if he attempts to 
reverse the order and begin with the roof! 
Jesus did not condemn thrift and carefulness 
about material concerns, but he did sav, ^^Seek 
first the kingdom of God." Some one has noted it as 
a significant fact that the first four words of the Bible, 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 177 

taken alone, set forth the same thing. ^^In the begin- 
ning God/' When a man puts God first in consider- 
ing that which claims his time and talent, and in map- 
ping ont his plans, he will not be unfaithful to any 
other obligation, 

TO LET. 

A gentleman going down the street stopped and 
looked for a moment at an empty house, then, stepping 
into the corner,' asked: ^^Can you tell me what that 
house rents for ?" ^^Whv, I did n't know it was for 
rent,'' was the reply. ^^Well, maybe it is n't," said the 
first speaker, ^^but when a house is empty, one always 
takes it for granted that it is to let." There was 
something in this remark to moralize over. It is not 
only empty houses, but empty lives, that wear in them- 
selves the announcement that they are to let. The 
busy life is the suresti safeguard against intruders. 
Satan, of all others, never waits to be invited into the 
unoccupied heart. 



MISUNDEESTAIs^DING GOD. 

A young man said, "Mother died when we chil- 
dren were small, and after awhile father brought home 
a. new wife. We never took the trouble to find out 
what she was like; we had made up our minds that 



178 



Side Windows; or. 



we hated her. We treated her badly. Once in awhile 
father found it out, then he punished us, and so se- 
verely that we were sorry for what we had done and 
resolved to behave ourselves. But we never knew 
what repentanca meant till we saw her real, noble 
self and learned to love her. That was repentance that 
cut to the quick." It is so with repentance toward 
God. We see his grealj love and his true attitude to- 
wards us, and our sins grow black as night beside 
them. We are ready to fall at the feet of Jesus and 
cry, ^^What must I do to be saved?" 



WHEN AN EXCUSE DOES NOT EXCUSE. 

One of the dangerous things about many of the 
excuses men make for staying out of the kingdom 
is that, under some circumstances, they might be rea- 
sonable enough. In the parable of the great supper, 
the man who had bought land was only acting the 
part of the prudent man when he went out to look 
at it. That is, he would have been if there had 
been nothing more important to take the precedence. 
The importance of all things must be considered rel- 
atively. Ordinarily, it is a profitable thing for you 
to take a brisk morning walk, but you would be looked 
upon as insane if you should start out upon one when 
your house was on fire. The Lord never discouraged 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 1T9 

men from being prudent and energetic about their 
business affairs, but we have the injimction, ^^Seek 
first the kingdom of God/' The land the man had 
bought could wait; the feast could not. 



^THE VOICE/' 



From the brief sketch v/e have of the personnel of 
John, it would seem that, in itself, it was enough to 
arrest and hold the attention of the people. Yet so 
completely does the message overshadow the man, that 
he is referred to as a voice. 

This has been, in a measure, true of every man 
who has been the bearer of the King's message. When 
people go away to talk of the fine appearance of the 
preacher, his graceful gestures, and his perfect enun- 
ciation, we may be pretty certain that the message 
itself was a failure. 

It is not always an easy thing to do — indeed, it 
requires a good deal of grace to make us willing 
to have people forget us, if they but remember what 
we said. Too many who profess to be working for 
Christ count it no small part of success that people 
praise them. 

2s^ot long ago a man who had really done a good 
work in the way of rescuing boys and girls, and put- 
ting them in a better way, said complainingly : ^^Oh, 



180 Side Windows; or, 

yes ; tliey are doing very well^ but they forget that they 
owe It all to me/' Perhaps this was only natural, but 
he had been to these young people a warning voice, 
and the voice had fulfilled its purpose. Better, fel- 
low Christian, be simply a warning voice to some 
soul, and with no personality at all, than to be the 
center of a much-praised spectacular performance. 

The things we have lived for, 
Let them be our story — 
We ourselves but remembered 
By what we have done. 



A NEGLECTED DUTY, 



Word came to the school that the father of one of 
the students was dead. "Well, no fellow ever had a 
better father," one of the boys remarked. "You know 
I lived not far from him, and it seemed that Mr. Ely 
was continually planning some new way to help Ered 
or give him pleasure. I do n't think I ever saw such 
love or self-sacrifice." At this all were surprised. 
"T supposed his people were the sort that it wasn't 
pleasant to think or talk about," some one else re- 
marked. "I can't think of him having had such a 
good father, .when he never said a word to any one 
about it." Of co'urse, that conclusion was natural. 
It was hard to believe in the goodness of a father 
w^hen the son never spoke In his favor. I have won- 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 181 

dered if we have not made a similar impression on 
the minds of some who did not know our heavenly 
Father. Oh that the world should ever have reason 
to say of yon or me, ^^I never heard him speak of 
what his Father has done for him''! 



ABUNDANT LIFE. 



One of the sweetest assurances that Jesus ever gave 
to his followers was that he had come not merely to 
save meuj not merely that they should have life, but 
that they might have it more abundantly. Look upon 
some narrow, self-centered life, where the first ques- 
tion is always that of self-gratification, and then look 
at the life that is pouring itself out on the world, 
a stream of blessing, and you will begin to catch his 
meaning: ^^He that saveth his life shall lose it." Our 
Lord came to teach us a more excellent way. The 
saving soul can never know the meaning of abundant 
life. 

Hear the parable of the vine-dresser. There is a 
vine, living and bearing leaves enough to feed its body, 
and that is all. There are no clusters of fruit to bless 
those who come to it. The vine-dresser looks at it. 
It is alive, but that does not satisfy him. Of what 
profit is it that the vine be kept alive, if it is to live on 
in this meager fashion ? See, he begins to cut away 



182 Side Windows; or, 

here a limb and there a limb; and when he leaves the 
vine it seems to be impoverished indeed from having 
given up so much of itself. But let us return at the 
time of harvest. Look at the weight of great, purple 
clusters under which it bends. ^^Ah ! this is life/' we 
say ; ^^it is abundant life.'' 

men, women, learn this lesson. When the Mas- 
ter of the vineyard comes down to take away that 
which you cherish as a part of yourself, he has come 
not in anger: he has cojne that you may have life, 
and that you may have it more abundantly. 



THE WOEK WE LEAVE BEHIITD. 

We are told of Dorcas that, because of her deeds 
of charity, they mourned for her. They stood by, not 
merely weeping, but showing the garments that she had 
made. Have vou thousrht that the work into which 
many of us put our best time and strength could hardly 
be exhibited to our credit after we were gone? What 
if it had been Battenberg doilies, oo* hand-painted 
throws for her drawing-room, to which Dorcas had de- 
voted her spare time? However artistic they might 
have been, they would have seemed tawdry and trifling 
in such an hour. The homely garments were beauti- 
ful because of the beautiful spirit of self-denial which 
had been wrought into them. We sometimes say that 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 183 

we wish to bo remembered by what we have done. 
The nearest approach to immortality that can be 
known in this changing world is impressing one's self 
upon the hearts of our brethren. 



THE LORD'S DAY OR OURS? 

A good many people have been inclined to excuse 
themselves from attending religious service on the 
Lord's Day on the plea that six days of the week are 
given to work, and they must have some time for them- 
selves. Here is another view of the matter that is 
Avorth considering: 

^^I should n't think you would feel like going 
out to church, even Sundays, now that you have to 
work so hard all week," some one said to a young 
w^oman. 

^^Oh," was the reply, *^'I feel under more obliga- 
tion than ever. If I can spend six days, and so much 
time and strength, working for my own comfort, I 'd 
be ashamed not to give a part of one day to the Lord." 

'Not very many of those who appropriate the Lord's 
Day for other than its rightful uses, spend it in a 
w^y that elevates. Facts demonstrate that a secular 
Sunday is a thing to be dreaded. In any locality 
where religion does not prevail it is a day fruitful in 
riots, A woman whose husband w^as making a strug- 



184 Side Windows; or, 

gle against the drink habit, said: ^^I think we could 
pull Jim through, if it was n't for Sunday/' We are 
frequently told that the church is too expensive an 
institution for the working people, hence they turn 
elsewhere. It would be interesting to know ho\vmuch 
a single Sunday's amusements cost in dollars and 
cents, to say nothing of the costs that can no't be 
counted. 

One of the simplest, surest ways of settling the 
question as to how we shall speaid the first day of the 
week — whether in our own pursuits or of our Mas- 
ter's — is to consider the meaning of its name. If I 
tell you that a certain bujilding is Mr. Smith's, I 
will scarcely need to add that you are thcirefore not 
at liberty to go in and appropriate it to your own 
private use. So the fact that this day, divinely desig- 
nated the Lord's, ought to stop all discussion as to how 
we may sj)end it. We have no right to take possession 
of it for our worldly pursuits or pleasures. 



COWAEDLY COURTESY. 

At a banquet a young man who had been thus far ft 
Christian and an avowed total-abstainor, allowed his 
wine-glass to be filled^ and even went so far as to 
touch it to his lips. "Of course, I disapproved of the 
w^ine," he said, ^T>ut I thought it would be boorish for 



Lights on Scripiure Trutlis, 185 

me to intrude my personal opinions on the rest by an 
absolute refusal." 

"My boy^ carry that principle into all the walks 
of life and you will make a successful failure of your- 
self/' was the reply. "However^ you do not believe 
in it yourself. The other night in a political meet- 
ing, when some one tried to pin upon your coat the 
badge of the candidate you oppose, you said boldly 
enough, That is against my principles.' There is quite 
as much honor in having moral backbone as in display- 
ing the same quality in politics." 



THE PAEABLE OF THE OIL-MILL. 

Hear the parable of the oil-mill. There was a cer- 
tain man who had a great possession; and, when he 
would find a profitable place upon which to bestow it, 
a friend said to him, "Behold, there is for sale in a 
certain city an oil-mill. Now, this mill is fitted out 
with the finest machinery, and is capable of bringing 
large returns to its owner." So the man sent and 
bought the oil-mill, and, after many days, he journeyed 
to the place where it was. When he came to the place 
he found the mill even as his friend had said. 

"Surely," he said, "this mill must be getting me 
much gain." One thing he saw, however, that amazed 
him sorely. ^N'early all of the great wheels and belts 



.186 Side Windows; or, 

were idle. In one corner of the mill a part of the ma- 
chinery was in motion. 

^^How is this/' he said to the overseer, ^^that my 
mill is yielding me no return?" 

^^jSTot so/' replied the man, showing a small cruse 
of oil. ^The mill is doing well indeed, since it turns 
out every day enough to keep its machinery well oiled.'' 

Then was the owner of the mill wroth, and said, 
^^Of what advantage is it to me that I have invested 
my money in this thing ? If it is to do no more than 
to keep itself whole, it might as well be burned to the 
ground and its place given to another." 

So is he who is satisfied with using the grace of 
God to keep himself pure and regards not others. 



A DOUBLE EEWAED. 



A gentleman who was working in a factory as ship- 
ping clerk, found that his salary was hardly sufiicient 
to keep his family. "My health, too, seemed to be 
failing," he said, "and I knew that if I were to be 
taken sick my family would suffer. I gave up my 
flat near the factory and took a little house netar the 
edge of the town. There was plenty of ground, and 
I thought that, by working at odd times, I might raise 
enough to provide in part for our necessities. The re- 
sult was that I raised potatoes enough to supply us 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 187 

all winter. That was n't all. The exercise made a 
new man of me/' 

I do n't believe we ought to go into the business 
of seeking souls for our own sakes. Indeed, such a 
thing is impossible, but there is a reward that we reap 
in our o^ynselves. 



LOOKIXG rOK TKOUBLE. 

^^He must have been looking for trouble/' a young 
man said not long ago when the fact was mentioned 
that the good Samaritan seemed to have been so well 
equipped for taking care of the wounded traveler. 
Whether he can be said to have been actually looking 
for trouble, this much we know — he was ready for it. 

There is a wholesome lesson to be found here. A 
fund of sympathy is a good thing, but there are cases 
where something else is needed. The Samaritan 
might have felt very sorry for the imfortunate man, 
and not have been able to help him. 

^^I never know what to do for any one who Is 
sick or in trouble," a lady said. She had never tried 
to learn. She might have carried oil and wine along 
the way with her, but she had never taken the trou- 
ble to thus equip herself. Another confesses that, 
while she is often deeply concerned about her unsaved 
acquaintances, she does not know enough about the 



188 Side Windows; or^ 

Bible to attempt to talk with them. The man who 
realizes God's purpose in his creation looks for trouble 
to the end that he may relieve it. He not only looks 
for it, but he makes himself ready to meet it. 



THE COSTLINESS OF SYMPATHY. 

One of the very common fallacies is that sympathy 
is a very cheap commodity, that it may be bcistowed in 
place of something more tangible. Smooth words may 
serve this purpose, but genuine sympathy, never. 
When we feel the need of others most deeply, we are 
least likely to be assuring them of our sympathy. It 
is because men have possessed the genuine sympathy 
for humanity that they have placed themselves and 
their possessions upon the altar. "Your husband is 
a man of large sympathies,'' some one said to a lady 
recently. "Yes," was the curt reply, "and they have 
cost him the price of a farm since I have known him." 



IT WILL HOLD YOU EAST. 

A company of fugitives besought th« aid of a 
guide to pilot them through a dark and lonely cavern, 
by which alone they could reach a place of safety from 
their enemies. "You must lay aside your baggage," 
said the guide, "No man can carry anything with 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 189 

him through the narrow gate/' At first thej de- 
murred. One had this treasure, another that, which 
it seemed impossible to relinquish. By and by, how- 
ever, they agreed to comply with the requirements. 
One alone clung secretly to a bag of gold. As it was 
dark when they set out, he tarried a little behind the 
rest and secreted the treasure in the folds of his robe. 
When at dawn they reached the place of safety, the 
man was missing. In trying to creep through a nar- 
row pass, his gold had wedged him fast, and he had 
fallen a prey to his pursuers. So it is with those 
who would find safety in the kingdom and yet can 
not make up their minds to relinquish the world. The 
treasure sooner or later holds them back and they fall 
a prey to the enemy of souls. 



KNOWI^s^G HIS VOICE. 



One night, in a river town in southern Ohio, there 
was a fearful storm, which suddenly raised the river 
and sent a flood sweeping over the town. It was at 
the hour when the people were returning from the Sun- 
day evening service. Friends were separated in the 
darkness and a number of lives were lost. A little 
girl, who had become separated from her friends, was 
saved in a way that seemed well-nigh miraculous. 
Her father, who had gone in search of her, wandered 



190 Side Windows; or, 

about, calling her, with little hope of making himself 
heard, even if she were near. Suddenly he felt her 
little hands clasping his. 

^^I heard him calling, ^Come this way! I am 
here !' '' she said afterward, when questioned about the 
matter. 

^^But how did you know it was your father call- 
ing you ?" some one asked, 

"How did I know?" she returned, wonderingly. 
^^I think I ought to know my father's voice. I 've 
been with him enough.'^ 

The child's reason was certainly sufficient. It was 
only by association that she could have become so fa- 
miliar with his tone that she would know it even when 
she could not see, Jesus said of his sheep, "They 
know my voice." Those who know his voice in the 
midst of the world's distracting turmoil are those who 
have been much with him. 



A NECESSAKY CHOICE. 

A gentleman tells of having overheard this conver- 
sation between a lady and her four-year-old son: 
"Now, Epbert," she was saying, "you can have either 
the wheel or the new suit. Do you want the suit?" 
The boy nodded his head very emphatically. "And 
the wheel, too," he added. "Oh, but you can have 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 191 

only one," the mother answered; ^Vhich do you want?'^ 
^^Both/^ the child persisted. When he left, she was 
still trying to impress upon the boy that it must be 
the wheel or the suit, not both. I am sure that many 
of us are equally unreasonable. God asks which we 
will have, earthly treasures or heavenly, and we an- 
swer, ^^Both.'' We are appealed to as to whether we 
will serve God or mammon, and we try to get on good 
terms with God and mammon. 



TEIFLEES. 



One of the sore trials that sometimes come to the 
Christian worker is the fact that men so often busy 
themselves with trifles when weighty matters ought 
to claim their attention. A preacher, who had been 
pouring his very soul into an exhortation to men to 
seek higher and better things, referred, by way of 
illustration, to the fact that some plants thrive better 
in the shadow than in the sunlight. At the close of 
the service a lady came to him and told him that she 
was so glad that she had heard him. The heart of 
the almost discouraged preacher revived. Imagine his 
feelings, however, when she went on to say, ^^I never 
knew till to-day what was the matter with my fuchsia. 
I shall go home and put it in a shady place.'' In this 
trial, however, the servant is not above his Lord. 



192 Side Windows; or. 

Once, when Christ had been speaking to the multi- 
tudes upon the high theme of prayer, a man pushed 
his way to the front and asked Christ to help him get 
some money that was coming to him. 

Sometimes people have so low a conception of the 
work of the preacher that they would have him leave 
his work to settle neighborhood quarrels. Men neg- 
lect priceless things and devote themselves to trifles, 
because they have a mistaken idea of values. 



THE STILL WATEES. 



^''No, I can^t honestly say that I enjoy my relig- 
ion," a lady said not long ago. ^"Of course, I feel more 
comfortable and secure belonging to the church than 
I should if I were out of it ; but as for peace, I do n't> 
see but that I am as full of worry and discontent 
as I was before.'^ 

"Some of us don't take the trouble to find the 
paths of peace",'' her friend returned gently. "We 
do n't read the Word as earnestly as we should ; and 
even when we do know, we do n't try to walk where 
He would have us go." The other looked mystified. 

"Oh, well, I do n't profess to be a saint," she said ; 
"I am too busy to spend so much time over the Bible." 
There are too many Christians like that. They would 
like to find the green pastures and the still waters, 



Lights an Scripture Truths. 193 

but they want to find them along the worldly, selfish 
■ways they have chosen for themselves. When David 
speaks of the still Avaters, he says, "He leadeth me 
beside the still waters." Only those who let the Lord 
lead can expect to find them. 



FAITH K^D OBEDIENCE. 

A visitor, passing through a certain department of 
a large shop, noticed a set of regulations written on 
a blackboard. He also noticed that, in several par- 
ticulars, every man in the shop was disregarding them* 
He questioned the foreman concerning the matter. At 
first the man was reluctant about answering him. Fi- 
nally he said, "Those rules were written by one of the 
firm. He has neither wisdom nor judgment. If we 
should follow his directions, we would ruin a good 
part of the work.'' The men took their own way be- 
cause they lacked faith in their commander. How- 
ever else we may characterize it, failure to obey is 
gimply lack of faith. 



THE COST OF NEGLECT. 

An orange-grower, showing a visitor through his 
groves, pointed out several trees which, he said, w^re 
unprofitable, because they bore only an inferior, bitter 
kind of fruit. He gave as a reason for this that they 



194 ^ 8ide Windoiosj or, 

had been neglected for a long while after planting, 
and expressed his purpose of uprooting them, and put- 
ting the ground to a better use. 

"But couldn't they be grafted?'' the visitor ques- 
tioned. 

"Oh, yes,'^ was the reply, "but it will pay better 
to plant new ones." 

I wonder how long it will take us to realize that 
the same rule holds good in dealing with individuals. 
There is no mistake quite so costly as that of neglect- 
ing the boys and girls, with the idea that it is only 
w^ork among the older people that -counts. 



CHILDISH THINGS. 



Jesus once told the captious, fault-finding Jews 
that they were like foolish children, demanding al- 
ways the opposite to what they received. Alas that 
their tribe has in no way decreased ! We find them 
standing outside the church, stubbornly refusing all 
entreaty to come inside. The church is too narrow. 
There is too much that is puritanic and rigid. And 
sometimes the church, like a foolishly indulgent par- 
ent, has attempted to make things over to their lik- 
ing, and has laid aside her heavenly garments for 
those of a more worldly cut, to but discover that the 
objectors have changed their minds. What use have 



Lights Oil Scripture Truths* 195 

they for the church when Christians are no better than 
other people I 

But not all the pouting, whining children are on 
the outside. There are too many who have a name to 
have become men in Christ, who give the church no 
end of trouble with their ill tempers and their whim- 
sical wavs. 

You remember the child who always Avithdrew from 
the game the moment some one else was given the lead '? 
Well, she is groA\m up now. Indeed, she has been 
'^grown up" these many years, but she has n't put off 
her childish way. She is now one of the most sacri- 
ficing persons I ever knew. I was about to say self- 
sacrificing, but, come to think of it, that is one of the 
things she has n't sacrificed. It is true that she is will- 
ing to give up her time and physical comfort to an ex- 
tent that is a rebuke to the ease^loving souls in the 
church. When she had charge of the mission work 
dovm in the slums, her devotion was unparalleled, but 
when some one else took the prominent place her in- 
terest flickered out. Then, for awhile she was presi- 
dent of the Woman's Missionary Society, and her zeal 
caused some people to say that she was going daft. 
But, of course, she could not hold the office forever, 
and when she dropped to the place of a plain membeo*, 
that was the last we heard of her on the subject of 
missions. 



196 Side Windows; or. 

Passing a group of children the other day^ I heard 
one of them say, "I won't play at all if I can't be ^it'/' 
That is just the trouble with our friend. We have 
found that no matter what is to be undertaken, if 
she can't be ^4t" she will have none of it. 



WORTHY OE THE COST. 

What is it that the church has been bidden to 
carry into all the world? Is it something sufficiently 
precious to warrant the risk and expenditure? Sup- 
pose that to-night, in the still hours, some one comes 
knocking at your door. With difficulty you rouse your- 
self, and, going to the window, look out. A woman is 
standing at the door. 

^^What do you want?" you question impatiently. 

^^Oh," she replies, "I want you to carry this pack- 
age to a friend of mine, who lives over on the other 
side of the town." 

^^What ! at this hour ?" vou ansAver. ^^There is no 
light and an awful storm is raging. What is in the 
package, that I should brave such dangers in order to 
deliver it ?" 

"Well," she answers, reluctantly, "it is a bou- 
quet- — " 

You do not wait for her to finish. Your indignation 
is kindled, and you are ready to have the woman ar- 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 107 

rested on a charge of lunacy. Suppose, on the other 
hand, she comes to ask vou to carrv some sovereim 
remedy to a dying man ? Her plea, instead of rousing 
your indignation, will stir you to the best that there is 
in you. The storm and the darkness and the danger 
will count for nothing, when you are a bearer of that 
which means life to another. Brethren, when the 
church realizes that men without Christ are lost, and 
that the gospel has power to save and redeem them, 
it will need no more bugle-blasts to arouse it to its 
duty and to its opportunity. 



TUEXIXG IT TETO MONEY. 
(Mark xiv. 4, 5.) 

The fabled stone that had power to turn every- 
thing into gold — ^^vhat a blessed thing that it is only 
fabled ! Imagine the stone in the hands of some men. 
Precious as is the glittering substance, we can readilj^ 
see that there are many things the place of which it 
could not fill. There are men in the world to-day who 
would, if they could, turn not only all material but 
also all spiritual things into money. 

There is a man who is using some splendid endow- 
ment — his eloquent tongue, his pen, his social gifts — 
in an unselfish way. He is pouring them out as a 
love offering upon the world. Some sordid-minded 



198 ^ Side Windows; or, 

Judas is sure to lcx>k upon his gift and exclaim, ^'This 
might have been sold!'' Yes, so it might. But this 
by no means proves that he has the right to sell it. 
In a certain section where the farms are uncommonly 
fertile, the people are stunted and inferior in appear- 
ance. A traveler, noting this, inquired as to the rea- 
son. 

^They are a miserable, undersized set because they 
sell everything that can possibly be turned into money 
and live on the refuse," was the reply. The Christian 
who turns every available power into money will find 
that he has done so to the detriment of his own spiritual 
self. 



THEY THAT AEE SICK. 

^^I wish you would go with me to see my phy- 
sician/' a lady said to a friend who seemed to be in 
declining health. ^^I am certain that he could cure 
you if you Avould go at once." 

^^Wait till I feel better, and I will go witli you,'^ 
returned the invalid, looking up with a Avan smile. 

"But I said a physician," the friend explained, 
somewhat impatiently. "It is because you are sick 
that I wanted you to go to him." 

The invalid only shook her head. "I believe all 
you say about him," she said, "but I want to get my 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 199 

system toned up a little before I go to him. I do n't 
think he can do anything for me till I am stronger/' 
It is not difficult for us to see the folly of such 
an answer. The same thing is not always so plain to 
us when sick souls are to be brought to the great Phy- 
sician. 



i:j^vitixg temptation. 

A young man, who had hitherto borne a good repu- 
tation, was ai-rested on the charge of being implicated 
in an extensive robbery. The trial developed the fact 
that he had been a tool in the hands of others, and that 
his part in the matter had been that of showing the 
men the places where they were likely to get the largest 
returns. The judge was at first disposed to believe 
the young man's statement that he had never before 
stepped aside from the path of rectitude. However, 
his suspicions were aroused by the fact that the boy 
had been singled out from among all his associates and 
approached w4th the proposal that he take part in the 
robbery. 

^^A young man who received such a proposal had 
done something to invite it," the judge declared. Sub- 
sequent developments proved that he was right. Those 
who asked his aid would not have dared to do so if they 
had not believed that he was for sale. While it is 



200 Side Windows; of, 

true that all men must meet temptation, it is not a 
favorable omen when evil-doers make bold to ask us 
to join them in their deeds. We may be above that 
which they would have us do, but we have at least 
not kept our colors where they ought to be. 



MISSIOITAEY SUBMISSIOK 

A young woman, who was anxious to go to the 
foreign field, was hindered from carrying out her de- 
sires. She was listless and indifferent concerning the 
work near at hand, and all effort to enlist her in it 
was in vain. ^^I consecrated everything to the mis- 
sionary work,'' she said, "and will never be able to care 
for anvthine; else.'' That was not consecration. It 
was stubborn willfulness. There is an utter absence of 
the "missionary spirit" in the heart that can not be 
enlisted in missionary work that lies outside of the 
realm of its special plans. 



OUR ADVOCATE. 



Two men, stopping over night in a little village 
in the Orient, unintentionally violated some tradition 
and were placed under arrest. One of them was badly 
frightened. The other took the matter very calmly. 
^^Why arer you not afraid to be brought before the 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 201 

king?'' questioned the first, somewhat impatiently. 
^^You are as much an offender as I am." 

"Yes, but I have a friend in court/' was the reply. 
^^He is all-powerful with the king, and he will speak 
for me." 

Here do Ave behold the man who has Christ for his 
advocate and the man who has not. While the Chris- 
tian is not exempt from danger, he has a Friend in 
court who will not fail him in his hour of need. 



WILL GOD ROB MAN? 

You mean^ "Will a man rob God ?" you say. l^o. 
I do not mean anything of the kind. We all know 
that men do rob him. It is n't worth while to raise 
that question. But the other one ? Ah ! we are not 
such a unit on that subject. The average man who is 
not a Christian refuses to put himself into the hands 
of the Almighty because he believes that all God wants 
is a chance to rob him of everything that goes to make 
life w^orth living. Brother, God does n't ask you to 
surrender O'ue of your noble powers; it is only the 
devil who ever asks that. What the Lord does, ask 
of you is that you let him use them. 

In a certain family that traces its lineage back to 
the days of the pilgrims, there is an heirloom that no 
amount of money could buy. It is a lantern of the 



202 Side Windows; or^ 

most primitive pattern, and, to the casual observer; 
would seem to be of little value. Let me tell yoil 
the secret of its worth. During the war of tlie Revo-: 
lution it was borrowed by one of the men who had 
much to do Avith the winning of independence. When 
he returned the lantern it showed signs of hard usage, 
but it had been made forever glorious bv the man who 
had made use of it. So it is with the poAvers that 
we loan to God. They may become worn in his serv- 
ice, but they will be forever after glorious because he 
used them. 



LOVE^S OFFERING, 



Love always offers something that is a part of itself. 
Suppose your friend comes into your home just as you 
are ready to dine; you go to the corner bakery and 
buy him a box of tempting things to eat, and, leaving 
them with him, go into the dining-room, shut the door 
behind you and sit dawn to your dinner. You may 
have provided handsomely for your 'friend, but the 
chances are that you have wounded him by shutting 
him out from your fellowship. You have been willing 
to give him something, but you have refused to share 
your own personal pleasures with him. 

It was said of a multimillionaire who died the 
other day, that while he lived a sensual life and re- 



itt 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 203 

sented all efforts to enlist him in the service of Go<lj 
he gave now and then large snms to religious enter- 
prises. Whatever may have been the motives that 
prompted the gifts, we can not attribute them to the 
impulse of a loving heart. What God asks of you is 
not some splendid gift^ but to be a sharer in your life, 
whatever that mav mean. 



WHY YOU ARE YOURSELF. 

He was not given to finding fault with fate, but 
that day the young man had come home from a great 
meeting thoroughly sick at heart. He had been meas- 
uring up his opportunities alongside of those of the 
men he had met, and found it hard to keep back the 
bitter question as to why God had so meagerly en- 
dowed him. Half unconsciously, he fell to watching 
a mother and her children who were in the yard just 
across the way. The children were helping to carry 
sundry packages from the house out of which they 
were moving to the new one a little way up the street. 
The boy had been entrusted with only a tiny box. 
He seemed to be grieved over the fact, and was looking 
with wistful eyes at the packages carried by the older 
children, as he asked why she had given him so little. 
^^Because mother knew that it was all you could carry 
and she did n't want you to fall,'' was the gentle reply. 



204 Side Windows; or. 

The young man had received his lesson. After that 
when he looked at his small opportunities he would 
say, ^^God knew that I could n't carry a heavier load, 
and he does n't want me to fall." 



SPIEITUAL VAGEANCY. 

ISTearly every man acknmvledges that it would be 
a blessed thing to be a Christian, if only he could reap 
the bencG&ts without the costs. The common tramp 
has pretty much the same idea about the things that 
pertain to respectable living. He would have no ob- 
jections to being well fed, and clothed too, for that 
matter, if only he could have these things without 
working for them. ^^I often feel that you Christians 
are to be envied," a young man remarked, ^^but it 
would cost me something to become a Christian." In 
other W'Ords, he would have been glad to have eaten 
bread in the kingdom of God, but he w^as n't willing 
to work for it. 



THE PEKIL OE SOULS. 



A party of young men were strolling along the 
beach at a fashionable watering-place, watching with 
idle interest the fantastic gestures of some boys who 
I were disporting themselves in the surf not far away. 

I 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 205 

Suddenly one of the young men threw off his coat 
and dashed into the water. 

^^Men !'' he shouted to his companions, "those boys 
are not playing, they are asking for help. Do n't 
you see they are drowning?" 

The knowledge that lives were in danger had, in 
a moment, changed indifference into the most intense 
solicitude. Let the church once realize that men are 
really dying without Christ, and it will have been en- 
listed heart and soul in the cause of missions. 



Ui^SPOTTED FKOM THE WORLD. . 

"I think a Christian can go anywhere,'' said a 
vouno^ woman, who was defending' her continued at- 

I/O 7 O 

tendance at some very doubtful places of amusement. 

"Certainly she can," rejoined her friend, "but I 
am reminded of a little incident that happened last 
summer when I went with a party of friends to explore 
a coal mine. One of the young women appeared 
dressed in a dainty, white gown. When her friends 
remonstrated with her she appealed to the old miner 
who was to act as guide to the party: 

" ^Can't I w^ear a white dress down into the mine V 
she asked petulantly. 

" ^Yes, 'm,' returned the old man. ^There 's noth- 
in' to keep you from w^earin' a white frock down there, 



206 ^ Bide Windows; or, 

but there ^11 be considerable to keep you from wearin^ 
one back.' " 

There is nothing to prevent the Christian wearing 
his white garments when he seeks the felloAvship of 
that .which is unclean, but there is a good deal to pre- 
vent him from wearing white garments afterward. 



WHEKE THE IIYPOCEITE BELONGS. 

''What is a hypocrite?" I ask the pompous in- 
dividual who had been railing at the despised class 
who Avear that dishonorable name. 

'^A hypocrite ?'' he answers. ^^A hypocrite ? Why, 
he is one of ycur miserable Christians, who is just as 
bad as the worst one, if the truth were known.'' My 
friend, you are mistaken. That the hypocrite is the 
worst man in the world, we are ready to admit, but 
he is n't a Christian. He is guilty of the despicable 
act of stealing the clothes that belong to some Chris- 
tian and of palming himself off upon the world as 
one, but in reality he belongs to the other side. He 
is an infidel and a rebel. 

My soldier friend, let me ask you a question. What 
is a spy? You say, ^^He is the man who, while he is 
not loyal to our cause, gets in among us by means of 
false pretensions." Precisely ! And you never dream 
of coimting the spy as a part of your forces. The 



Lights on Scripture Truths, 207 

name itself bears testimony to the fact that he belongs 
to the other side. ISTo loyal man was ever foolish 
enough to refuse to enlist for the defense of his coimtry, 
because of the spies who had crept into the ranks. 
There is no excuse so truly the fool's excuse as that 
of the man who refuses to become a loyal soldier of 
Jesus Christ because of the few who have crept into 
the ranks and are wearing the uniform to which they 
have no right. 



WHY THE CHEISTIA2ST IS l^OT AFEAID. 

In a shop where the employes were, daring a good 
deal of the time, left to themselves, some of the men 
paid very little attention to the rules. It vras only 
when it was kno^ra that the inspector was about to 
make one of his rounds that they took care to keep the 
rubbish out of the way and their work-tables in order. 
One man, however, was an exception to this. There 
was never a time when his corner was not in proper 
condition. He took pains to keep it so. Some of the 
men lau^'hed at him. Thev said he was afraid of the 
inspector. And yet he was not. He knew that his 
coming meant commendation. He was the only man 
in the shop who did not tremble to hear the inspector's 
footstep. We have a way of speaking of the day of 
final reckoning' as beino; an awful dav, and vet let us 



208 , Side Windows; or, 

remember that it will be a day of reward as well as a 
day of judgment. Unbelievers may sneer at the man 
who sets his house in order and keeps it that way, and 
say that he is afraid of death. The fact is that he is 
the one man who has nothing to be afraid of. 



YOUE SUPKEME OPPOETUi^ITY. 

An eminent physician picked up in the street one 
day a homeless lad, and, taking him to his home, treated 
him with the utmost kindness. He took the boy into 
his office and gave him the training that would fit him 
to be a skillful nurse. ^^Some day, when I am sick and 
in need of attention, he will be able to care for me/^ 
the old doctor said, when his friends remonstrated with 
him for the care he Was bestowing upon the boy. ^^That 
will more than repay me for my pains.'' 

One day, when the boy had grown almost to man- 
hood, he went away on a pleasure excursion, contrary 
to the wishes of his benefactor, who needed his help. 
While he was gone, the old doctor was stricken with 
sudden illness and died alone in his office for want of 
some one to minister to him. ^To think that the lad 
should have failed me at the very moment for which 
I have these years been planning!'' he moaned again 
and again. And the boy echoed the lament when he 
returned to. find his friend cold in death, But how 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 209 

was he to have known that he was missing that for 
which he had been brought to this moment ? How are 
we to know when we are slighting the supreme oppor- 
tunity for which God placed us here? My brother, 
we can not know. If the boy had never been faithless 
to his duty, there would have been no such sad denoue- 
ment; if you and I took every opportunity earnestly, 
there would be no danger of our failing to grasp the 
great one. Better that life should be a series of seem- 
ing defeats that end in victory, than a succession of 
brilliant achievements that end in failure. 



THE BEST EVIDENCE. 



While the truth of the religion of Christ unfolds 
itself to the thoughtful mind in many Avays, one of the 
best evidences is the one which the believer carries in 
his own heart. The longing to know something about 
God is a natural attribute. It is to be foimd even in 
the Imvest type of mankind. When he finds that which 
•satisfies this longing, he has no need to be urged to 
believe. A company of men were shipwrecked upon an 
uninhabited shore. They sought in vain for something 
to satisfy their hunger, and there seemed to be nothing 
but starvation before them. One of them, going some 
distance inland, found a sort of fungi, growing at the 
root of a decayed tree. He ate some of it, and hastened 



210 ~ ' Side Wijidotvs; or, 

back to his companions to tell them of what he had 
found. 

"Ah! but it may be poison/' they said. "How do 
you know that it was ever meant for food?'' 

"I know it has satisfied my hunger/' he returned 
simply J "and that where before I was weak and faint- 
ing, I have gotten strength." 

This has been the testimony of eve-ry man who has 
partaken of the bread that cometli down from heaven. 
It satisfies an implanted longing, and makes him 
strong where before he was without strength. 



DEALIlN^G JUSTLY WITH GOD. 

A gentleman spent many months in collecting ma- 
terials for the construction of a certain machine. The 
metals were of the finest and the W'Ood costly and rare. 
Taking these to a skilled mechanic, he gave orders 
for the construction of the machine. Months passed. 
The time came when the machine was to have been 
completed ; but, though the owner sent for it again and 
again, he was each time put off with some flimsy ex- 
cuse. At last, at the end of the season, the maker of 
the machine sent it to the man who had given tJie or- 
der. He had followed directions in its construction, 
but during all these months he had been using it for 
himself. Kow'that it was worn out^ a3:id he could 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 211 

have no more use for it, he gave it to the owner. It 
was an insult, you say ? Yes, beloved, but how much 
more grossly do we insult God when we wear out the 
best of our life, that was never our own, and in the 
end offer him the broken pieces! 



THE WORK OF HIS HA2s[DS. 

The great heart that really loves people^ that 
causes its o\vner to shed tears over the needs of Jeru- 
salem, or Cincinnati, or Chicago, is all too rare. We 
can love our friends, our proteges and even our ene- 
mies, but to really yearn over people we can not call 
by name, and who present to our gaze simply a great 
troubled human sea, is another matter. Loving God 
and loving people is the same thing when we keep in 
mind the fact that God made the people. The work 
of those we love is never lacking in interest to us. 
I saw the other day a pathetic little w^ord picture 
which illustrates this. A young man is fondly gazing 
at a picture that has been painted and given to him 
by the woman he loves. He has bought for it a beauti- 
ful and costly frame. Most people would pronounce 
the picture common and crude, but to him it is full 
of rare beauty. He sees in it the soul of the one who 
conceived it. The trouble with most of us is that we 
forget that God made man. So long as he is simply 



212 ^ Side Wmdows; 07% 

a creature of the earth, earthy, we will pass him by 
as an uninteresting clod. We need to associate him 
with the great Father to whom he belongs, before we 
can appreciate him. 



HE U.YDEESTANDS. 



A yoimg mechanic became involved in some trouble 
with his employer on the question of money that was 
due him. A friend expostulated with him, upon learn- 
ing the name of the lawyer to whom he had gone for 
consultation. ^^Why, I could direct you to a score of 
better lawyers,'' said his friend. ^^That man is only 
a commonplace fellow.'' 

^^That may be true," replied the mechanic, ^^but he 
understands my case as no one else would be able, to 
understand it. He used to work at my trade himself." 

Jesus Christ attracts the man who is in need of 
help, because he knows all about human sorrows. He 
was once in the place of the sorrowing one himself. 



THE SECEET OF CONTENTMENT. 

The small boy who admitted that he had several 
times had all he could eat, but never yet all that he 
wanted, finds his counterpart among children of a 
larger growth. While there is such a thing as desiring 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 213 

great possessions for a noble purpose, such instances 
must always be painfully rare. The capacity of the 
millionaire and the multimillionaire for eating and 
drinking is no greater than that of the poor man. 
He can only wear so much clothing. He must ac- 
knowledge that he has long ago had all he could make 
use of, but the greed of getting has not abated. Paul 
says: '^Tlaving food and raiment, let us therewith be 
content." And he mioht have added : If you are not 
content with that, you never will be. 



A QUESTIOIs^ OF OWNEKSHIP. 

When we want to describe certain very disagree- 
able people, we say that they act as though they own 
everything. Perhaps not many of us are disposed to 
be thus in our intercourse Vvdth each other, and vet it 
is a common fault. Xothing is plainer than the teach- 
ing of the Bible on the subject of our Indebtedness to 
God. He gives nothing, though- he entrusts us with 
many things. Yet there is a common feeling that it 
is our business, and ours alone, as to how we make use 
of that which has been left in our hands. In other 
words, we act as though we owned things. 

Suppose, if, when you leave your watch with the 
watchmaker to be looked after, he should put it on 
and use it himself. Suppose the tailor should make 



21 i - ^ Side Wmdoios; or^ 

up the oloth yo'U bring him, and wear it out going 
about his own affairs. It would, to say the least of 
it, cause a coolness between you and your watchmaker 
01 tailor, as the case might be. When you are about 
to decide how you shall use this opportunity, or that 
talent, remember that the Owner has some rights that 
ought to be considered. 



PUTTmG THEM TO SILENCE. 

A student, noted for his indiscretions, went to one 
of his teachers and complained because he was being 
made the subject of unfavorable comment. 

"How can I make them quit talking about me V^ 
he asked. 

"Quit giving them anything to talk about/' was 
the sententious reply. 

While the answer was not exactly pleasing to the 
young man, he had the good sense to see that his 
friend had offered the only remedy. 

While there are idle tongues and malicious tongues 
that busy themselves when they seem to have abso- 
lutely no pretext for doing so, we may be sure that 
we can never put them to silence so long as we allow 
what they say to be true. Sharp answers and adroit 
reasoning, without the backing of absolute truth be- 
hind them, will never effectually silence criticism. 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 215 

An evangelist went into a town where' there were 
St few people who chose to be known simply as Chris- 
tians, and began to plead for a return to primitive 
Christianity. The tongues of the gossips began to wag. 
^^Those people are whitewashed infidels/' they said; 
^^they don't believe in anything but baptism/^ In 
vain the evangelist denied the accusation, and in vain 
did they all seek to stop the mouths of the slander- 
ers. Though in time they despaired of getting just- 
ice, they went on seeking to save the lost and to serve 
where they were needed. Years rolled by and their 
neighbors began to point to those they had despised 
and to commend them for their spirituality, for their 
fervent zeal and for their consistent living. The dis- 
ciples had long ago ceased trying to vindicate them- 
selves, and had devoted themselves to the simple per- 
formance of duty. In so doing they had unwittingly 
put to silence their traducers. 



DIAMONDS AND COKN. 

(John xii. 24.) 

Generally speaking, there is no comparison to be 
made between the value of a diamond and that of a 
grain of corn, yet all depends on the disposition you 
make of the com. Put both of them away, and at 
the end of a hundred years tlie grain of corn will still 



216 ' Side Windoivsj or, 

have no money value, while the diamond's value, run- 
ning up into the hundreds of dollars, will be undimin- 
ished. At the end of ton times a hundred year* the 
same thing will be true. But suppose, instead, we bury 
the grain in the warm, moist earth, and year after 
year throughout the centuries let it go on producing 
and reproducing. In that time it will have produced 
a store that the whole earth could hardly contain. Its 
production represents a money value that makes the 
diamond's price not more than an. atom in comparison. 
To have saved the grain of com would have been to 
lose all it was capable of producing. ^^Except a corn 
of wheat fall into' the ground, and die, it abideth 
alone." Brother, to save your gift from God may 
seem to be the prudent thing, but let me tell you that 
in the end it will mean loss. 



THE WISDOM OF GOD. 

^^The woman means well, and I am certain that 
she loves her boy,' ^ some one said concerning the motlier 
of several children. ^^I can't understand why she is 
such a failure when it comes to family government.^' 

^The trouble lies in the fact that she has no con- 
ception of the abilities and disabilities of her chil- 
dren," was the reply. ^^She asks them to do things 
that are out of the range of possibilities. The chil- 



Ligliis on Scripture Trulhs. 217 

dren, who are uaturally of an obedient temper, liave 
found this out, so they have given up trying to obey 
her/' The whole trouble lav in the mother's lack of 
wisdom. There is no more unmistakable sign of unwis- 
dom than that of asking men to do the impossible. 
Most men believe that God is good, but multitudes of 
them charge him with being unwise when they de- 
clare that he has asked of them things that it is un- 
possible for them to do. 



PRESEEVIXG THE LAXD^IARKS. 

The summer after tho flood of 1873, in which a 
part of Cincinnati was submerged, a country merchant 
visiting the city was in conversation with a German 
citizen on the subject, when the latter volunteered to 
show him the high-water mark on his warehouse just 
across the street. 

^^Why,'" said the merchant, in astonishment, look- 
ing at the chalk-line above one of the upper windows, 
^^I had no idea the water rose so high." 

^^Oh ! it did n't," the Gemian returned complais- 
anljly, ^^but I had to put it up there to keep the boys 
from rubbing it out." 

In religion, from the beginning until now, men 
have been setting up ^^ancient landmarks" for other 
people to let alone. 



218 Side Windows; or^ 

I am afraid tJiat there are no»t a few ^^apostolie 
landmarks'' to which some have been fond of pointing 
people that are about as genuine as the German's high-'^ 
water mark. 



PAEADE OR SEEVICE. 



A little girl, watching a regiment of soldiers march 
down the street, turned to her mother as the last sec- 
tion of the band went past, and asked with a note 
of impatience in her voice, ^^Mamma, what are sol- 
diers for if they can't play?" The child had lost 
sight of, or really had never understood, the fact that 
the real business of the soldier is not to make a part 
of an attractive spectacular performance. In our 
very laudable desire to make the church attractive, 
we often make a similar mistake. The real business 
of the church is to save souls and not to furnish an 
attraction that will draw ^^the best people in town" 
into its charmed circla 



WHY HE EELT SECUEE. 

"The promise that has helped most in my Christian 
life," said a traveling salesman, "is tliis: ^My God 
shall supply all your need.' When I first began, I was 
troubled for fear that some sudden temptation would 



Lights Oil Scripture Truths. 219 

prove too much for me. The first house I traveled for 
was n't very reliable, and several times I found myself 
stranded in a strange town, just because they were 
not able to honor my draft. But since I 've been work- 
ing for my present employers, it's different. When 
I run short of funds, I have only to draw on the house, 
knowing it is all right, because they are to- be relied 
on. Well, I 've put that into my Christian life. And 
though I have passed through some pretty hard expe- 
riences, I find that I have only to look to Him, and he 
supplies my need according to his riches of grace." 



WHAT THEY EEALLY \NKET. 

(John XII. 21.) 

^^The people of this to^^m do n't want the gospel,'^ 
said a disgusted preacher who was just quitting a large 
congregation — made up mainly of empty benches. ^^I 
have tried in every possible way to make the services 
attractive, but they simply will not go to church.'^ 
The man thought he was telling the truth, and yet 
within two years after he quitted the field, the old 
church was the center of life and interest for the entire 
community. Instead of empty benches, there were not 
enough to seat the people. What made the differ- 
ence? A better preacher? Yes and no. The first 
man imagined the people were tired of the religion of 



220 Side Windows; oVj 

Christ, when in reality they were tired of the poor 
substitutes he had been oiiering them. Even worldly 
men who go up to the temple do not go there to hear 
scientific discussions or flowery oratio^ns. They can 
get them elsewhere. ^^We would see Jesus/' their 
hearts are saying. Men may grow tired of the man 
who steps between them and the Son of God, but they 
have never yet grown weary of looking at the Christ 
himself. 



SACKIFICED EOK US. 



Under the old law the blood of the sacrifice was 
a reminder to Israel of the awful nature of sin. When 
man saw it, he said, ^^I am worthy of death, but the 
loving, merciful God accepts the slain beast in my 
stead/' 

A young man went away from home to start in 
business. He was wild and reckless and had repeatedly 
to call upon his father for help to save him from getting 
into serious trouble, x^fter several years of profligacy, 
he returned home, to find his aged parents in the most 
straitened circumstances. The old farm had been 
sold to pay the debts he had contracted, and by hard 
labor his father was eking out a scanty living. Then 
there were on the faces of both father and mother deep 
lines, which told a tale of what they had suffered. The 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 221 

sight opened the young man's eyes and brought him 
to repentance. ^^I never realized the enormity of my 
sin till I saw something of what it had cost/' he said. 
Thus has the blood of Christ spoken to the world of 
the awfulness of sin. Men^ looking upon it, see the cost 
of their disobedience and are brought to repentance. 



COA^TRADICTORY TESTIMONY. 

If you do n't recommend Christ by your life, you 
need not expect that your words will carry conviction 
with them. A young lady was very enthusiastic over 
her music teacher, and w^ent about among her friends 
telling them what a good teacher he was and advising 
them to employ him. That would have been all very 
well but for the fact that the young woman's musical 
performances w^ere atrocious. They spoke of just the 
opposite to efficient teaching. It may have been that 
her teacher was not responsible for her mannerisms, 
but because of them his reputation certainly suffered. 



THE GARMENT OF SERVICE. 

A certain benevolent association had several times 
provided decent clothing for the child of an improvi- 
dent family, only to find the girl, a week or two later, 
with dirtv hands and face, and her dress soiled almost 



222 Side Windows; 01% 

beyond recognition. When the others were about ready 
to give lip the case as hopeless, one lady offered to take 
the child in hand. This time the noAv dress and trim- 
mings were creamy white, and fine and delicate in text- 
ure. On the following Sunday she appeared with 
clean face and hands and neatly combed hair. During 
the rest of the season no one had reason to complain of 
her untidy appearance. She had put her grimy hands 
alongside of the white dress and thus became con- 
scious of their unattractiveness. ^^What! Put those 
giddy young people to work in the church V^ said an 
objector in the early days of Christian Endeavor. 
'They're a disgrace to us now^, and it will be enough 
v/orse if they are given responsible positions." A 
trial, however, proved that he was wrong. More than 
one young Christian saw-, for the first time, the fault- 
iness of his life as it lay alongside the w^hite gar- 
ments of service he had donned. 



'^EXCEPT YE TUEN/' 

Do n't imagine that you can progress into a Chris- 
tian life without first turning squarely away from the 
world and toward heavenly things. If you were on 
the wrong *road last year, your only salvation is in 
a right-about-face. A man who started from Cincin- 
nati with the desire of reaching: San Erancisco, turned 



Lights on Scripture Truths. 223 

liis face toward the east instead of toward the west. 
He realized his mistake, but he did not want to turn 
around; and so, in spite of regrets and resolutions 
and protestations that he wanted to go to the Pacific 
coast, he one day found himself confronted by the 
Atlantic. Conversion means tmrning about, and it 
means that you are to do the turning yourself. 



LAMPS OE LIGHTS? 



An enterprising dealer ' advertises a lamp which 
gives a light so brilliant as to make the sun feel like 
it is almost a back number. Passing by the fact that 
the language of the dealer is, to say the least of it, a 
trifle florid, we are ready to go further and say that 
neither his lamp, nor any number of lamps, can of 
themselves light up a room ten feet square. The mis- 
sion of the lamp is not to give light, but to hold it up 
and to spread its beams. The same thing is true of 
the church; it is not a light. It is a light-bearer. It 
is so with the individual Christian. We can not have 
the light without the vessel to hold' the oil, but with- 
out the oil all the lamps in the world can not send 
out a ray of light. There must needs be the visible 
forms that have to do with the perpetuation of the 
church and that test our loyalty to him that planned 
them, for all our professions and performances amount 



224 Side Windows, 

to nothing if they are not more than this. The foolish 
virgins were, probably, very v^ell satisfied with their 
lamps till the time came for them to be put to use. 
Mere church membership may salve the conscience, but 
it will never save the soul. 



LIYIIs^G GKATITUDE, 



We may offer fervent expressions of gratitude in 
the prayer-meeting and sing aloud in the praise service, 
but our real sense of indebtedness must manifest itself 
in more practical ways. A king had saved the life of 
one of his subjects, and every day afterwards she came 
to his gate with protestations of gratitude. ^^I can never 
begin to pay the debt I owe him,'' she bewailed. One 
day the king, in his chariot, passed her cottage. He 
saw in her garden a tree bearing some luscious fruit, 
and was seized with a desire to taste it. When he 
sent his servant with the request that he be given some 
of the fruit, the woman replied that she would gladly 
give the fruit to the king but for the fact that there 
was no more of it than she needed for herself. She 
thus laid bare the fact that her expressions of grati- 
tude had been mere words which lacked the element 
of truthfulness. 



^Mt 



•7 \pf>\ 



MAY 31 1901 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Oct. 2005 

PreservatioEiTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER rN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



n 



• IS 



